CHAPLirs 


RELIGIOUS  DECLENSION. 


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BV  4501  .C45  1837 
Chaplin,  Jeremiah,  1813- 

1886. 
Causes  of  religious 

declension 


CAUSES/      FEB  191912. 
OP  ^^gjCAl  ^ 

RELIGIOUS  DECLENSION; 

PARTICULARLY  THOSE  WHICH  HAVE  OCCASIONED 
THE 

PRESENT  LOW  STATE  OP  RELIGION 

AMONG  DIFFERENT  DENOMINATIONS 

OF 

CHRISTIANS, 


v^ 


BY  JEREMIAH  CHAPLIN,  D.   D. 

Pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Willington,  Con. 


HARTFORD: 
CANFIELD   AND   ROBINS 

1837. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  183"?,  ty  JEREMiAtf 
Chaplin,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  ConnectieiH. 


In  compliance  with  the  earnest  desire  of  several  individuals,  al- 
so of  the  Board  of  the  Connecticut  Baptist  Convention,  as  expressed 
in  the  annexed  resolution,  the  undersigned  take  pleasure  in  stating 
that  the  Rev.  Dr.  Chaplin  has  consented  to  present  to  the  Christian 
pubhc,  in  the  form  in  which  it  now  appears,  his  essay,  originally 
prepared  for  an  annual  address  of  the  Board  to  our  churches  in 
this  state.  It  being  adapted  to  the  condition  of  churches  of  every 
denomination — embracing  no  denominational  pecuHarity — it  was 
thought  that  it  would  be  acceptable  to  professors  of  rehgion  gene- 
rally. May  the  Lord  bless  this  effort  of  his  servant  to  all  Chris- 
tians, and  cause  him  to  feel  that  his  labor  has  not  been  in  vain. 

In  behalf  of  the  Board  of  the  Connecticut  Baptist  Convention, 

HENRY  JACKSON, 
GURDON   ROBINS, 

Hartford,  May  ^Sth,  1837.  Committee. 


The  Board  of  the  Connecticut  Baptist  Convention,  at  their 
Quarterly  Meeting,  held  in  Hartford  on  Tuesday,  December  13th, 
1836,  having  heard  an  essay,  prepared  by  Rev.  J.  Chaphn,  D.  D., 
on  the  present  low  state  of  religion  in  the  churches,  passed  the  fol- 
lowing Resolution : 

Resolved,  That  the  Rev.  Dr.  Chaphn  be  requested  to  pubhsh 
his  Essay  in  the  form  of  a  volume,  and  that  the  Rev.  Henry  Jack- 
son and  Rev.  Gurdon  Robins  be  associated  with  him  to  make  ar- 
rangements for  its  pubhcation. 

Attect,  ORSAMUS  ALLEN,  Sec'y. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION— The  low  state  of  religion  among  Chris- 
tians  considered,  and  the  importance  of  ascertaining 
the  causes  of  the  evil.  Primary  cause,  the  depravity  of 
the  human  heart.  Other  causes  stated  and  illustrated  in 
the  following  chapters.       ....--         5 

CHAP.  I._Neglect  of  the  Bread  of  Life,         ...  9 

CHAP.  II. — Improper  connections  with  the  ungodly,        -  19 

CHAP,  m.— Spiritual  Indolence,            ....  23 

CHAP.  IV.— Want  of  a  suitable  control  over  our  Thoughts,  26 

CHAP.  V. — Neglect  of  Prayer;  particularly  of  secret  Prayer,  33 

CHAP.  VI.— Temporal  Prosperity,         ...  44 

CHAP.  VII.— Desecration  of  the  Sabbath,      ...  54 

CHAP.  VIII. — Too  great  precipitancy  in  the  admission  of 

candidates  to  Church  Fellowship,      ....         60 

CHAP.  IX. — Violent  Religious  Excitements,    ...         66 

CHAP.  X. — Extensive  prevalence  of  the  opinion  that  the 
influence  of  religious  principle  cannot  be  expected  in 
most  cases  to  be  steady  and  constant         ...  69 

CHAP.  XI. — Perversion  of  the  Doctrine  of  Grace,  .        .         75 

CHAP,   XII. — The  manner  in  which  Christian  ministers  too 

often  spend  their  time  when  out  of  the  Pulpit,      -         -         81 

CHAP.  XIII. — Prevalence  of  the  opinion  that  on  the  pastor 
of  a  church  is  devolved  nearly  the  whole  work  of  promo- 
ting the  interests  of  religion  in  the  place  where  he  resides,     86 

CHAP.  XIV. — Manner  in  which  Christians  frequently  treat 

the  Holy  Spirit, 92 

CHAP.   XV. — Neglect  of  the  daily  exercise  of  Repentance 

towards  God  and  of  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  100 

CLOSING  ADDRESS.         -       .       _       _       .       103 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  low  state  of  religion  among  Christians  considered, 
and  the  imjjortance  of  ascertaining  the  causes  of  the 
evil.  Primary  cause,  the  depravity  of  the  human  heart. 
Other  causes  stated  and  illustrated  in  the  following 
chapters. 

That  religion  is,  at  present,  in  a  low  state,  will,  it 
is  believed,  be  generally  admitted.  There  is,  in- 
deed, a  vast  deal  said,  especially  on  great  public  oc- 
casions, in  relation  to  the  interests  of  Christ's  king- 
dom in  the  world.  An  abundance  of  warmth  and 
zeal  is  frequently  manifested  on  these  occasions ; 
and  very  touching  things  are  uttered  by  many  of 
the  watchmen  on  Zion's  walls,  and  by  such  of  our 
lay  brethren  as  come  forward  to  advocate  her  cause. 
A  kind  of  bustling  activity  is  exhibited  throughout 
the  ranks  of  "  the  sacramental  host  of  God's  elect.'' 
The  noble  design  in  which  the  church  has  recently 
embarked — that  of  extendino:  the  empire  of  her 
King  and  Saviour  through  the  world — has  attract- 
ed the  attention  of  multitudes,  and  has  elicited 
from  great  numbers,  not  only  expressions  of  ap- 
probation and  applause,  but  very  liberal  subscrip- 
tions. The  imposing  grandeur  of  the  enterprise 
has  contributed  much  to  its  popularity ;   more  has, 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 

accordingly,  been  done  for  its  promotion  than  the 
most  sanguine  of  its  friends  presumed  to  antici- 
pate. But  amidst  all  this  stir  and  bustle,  there  seems 
to  be  but  little  of  the  vitality  and  pov^^er  of  religion 
— but  little  of  that  deep,  sober,  unostentatious 
piety  v^hich  once  characterized  the  Christian  com- 
munity. And  in  those  v^^ho  are  destitute  of  the 
grace  of  God,  there  is,  generally  speaking,  scarce 
any  appearance  of  anxiety  to  flee  from  the  v^rath 
to  come,  and  lay  hold  on  eternal  life.  The  riches, 
honors,  and  pleasures  of  the  world,  most  evidently 
engross  their  time  and  thoughts.  Many  of  them 
take  no  pains  to  obtain  that  religious  instruction 
which  is  God's  appointed  means  of  saving  souls ; 
while  those  who  visit  our  worshipping  assemblies, 
and  pay  a  respectful  attention  to  the  public  offices 
of  religion,  appear  to  receive  no  salutary  impres- 
sions ;  they  seem  as  easy  in  their  sins,  and  as  much 
devoted  to  worldly  pursuits  as  they  would  natural- 
ly be  did  they  know  that  the  gospel  was  a  cunning- 
ly devised  fable,  and  that  its  whole  system  of  doc- 
trines, promises  and  duties,  was  founded  in  falsehood 
or  delusion. 

At  such  a  time  the  friends  of  God  should  be 
alarmed,  and  labor  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  de- 
clension which  so  extensively  prevails.  Such  an  ef- 
fort is,  undoubtedly,  the  first  step  towards  effecting  a 
removal  of  the  existing  evil.  Till  the  cause  be  ascer- 


INTRODUCTION.  Vll 

tained,  no  remedy  can  be  applied  with  any  cer- 
tainty of  success.  And  when  the  cause  is  ascer- 
tained, the  proper  remedy  will  soon  be  discovered. 
It  will,  undoubtedly,  be  admitted  by  orthodox 
Christians  of  every  name,  that  the  depravity  of  the 
human  heart  lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  evil  in 
question.  This  depravity  involves  a  constant  ten- 
dency towards  the  world — a  tendency  which,  unless 
counteracted,  will  effectually  prevent  each  individual 
in  whom  it  exists  from  exercising  those  holy  affec- 
tions which  the  word  of  God  requires.  And  as  its 
influence  is  great,  so  it  is  universal.  It  is  not,  in- 
deed, equally  powerful  in  all  the  individuals  of  our 
race.  In  unconverted  men  it  is  supreme.  In  them 
it  has  little,  if  any  thing  to  contend  with,  except  the 
power  of  natural  conscience,  occasionally  excited 
by  the  common  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
those  social  principles  which  exist  in  the  breast  of 
every  human  being,  however  depraved  ;  and  which, 
except  in  cases  where  depravity  is  fearfully  aggra- 
vated by  long  custom  in  sin,  exert  some  influence 
in  opposition  to  the  unholy  dispositions  of  the  heart. 
In  persons  renewed  by  the  grace  of  God,  this  de- 
pravity has  to  contend,  not  only  with  conscience 
and  the  social  affections,  but  with  the  principle  of 
holiness  implanted  in  the  breast  of  every  real  Chris- 
tian by  the  Divine  Spirit.  This  principle  is  the 
proper  and  direct  antagonist  of  moral  depravity, 


VlU  INTRODUCTION. 

and  exerts  at  times  a  powerful  and  most  salutary  in- 
fluence in  favor  of  God  and  holiness.  But  it  too 
often  resembles  a  tender  plant  growing  in  an  unpro- 
pitious  soil — a  soil  full  of  the  seeds  of  useless  and 
noxious  herbs,  which  require  the  unremitting  atten- 
tion of  the  cultivator  to  check  their  progress.  The 
heart  even  of  the  pious  man,  is  sadly  depraved ; 
and  this  depravity  is  the  grand,  primary  cause  of 
that  decline  in  religion  which  we  have  so  much  rea- 
son to  lament.  But  this  is  a  cause  which  always 
exists ;  when  religion  maintains  its  most  elevated 
stand,  as  well  as  when  it  is  in  its  lowest  state.  There 
are  certain  other  things  which  exist  and  operate  at 
particular  times,  and  which  give  to  the  depravity 
of  the  heart  that  powerful,  predominating  influence, 
which  it  occasionally  exerts.  To  some  of  these  the 
attention  of  the  Christian  reader  will  be  directed  in 
the  following  chapters. 


CAUSES 

OF 

RELIGIOUS  DECLENSION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Neglect  of  the  Bread  of  Life. 

Men  in  their  unrenewed  state  are  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins  ;  and  they  continue  in  this  fearful 
condition,  till  "  God  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his 
^reat  love  wherewith  he  has  loved  them,"  is  pleased 
to  "  quicken  them"  by  the  communication  of  his  Ho- 
ly Spirit  to  their  hearts. 

This  great  moral  change,  commonly  called  re- 
generation, is  the  commencement  of  spiritual  life  in 
the  soul ;  a  life  which  is  destined  to  be  eternal,  and  to 
increase  in  strength  both  in  the  present  and  future 
world.  But  this  requires  the  use  of  certain  means 
which  Divine  wisdom  has  provided.  Among  these, 
a  competent  supply  of  spiritual  food  is  not  the  least 
important.  Does  any  one  inquire,  what  is  meant 
by  spiritual  food  ?  The  answer  is  ready  :  it  is  that 
2 


10  CAUSES    OF 

system  of  truth  contained  in  the  sacred  scriptures. 
Divine  truth  is  the  proper  aliment  of  the  soul.  Ac- 
cordingly, St.  Peter,  addressing  his  brethren,  says : 
"  As  new  born  babes  desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the 
word,  that  ye  may  grow  thereby."  It  may  be  thought 
an  objection,  that  our  Saviour  calls  himself  "  the 
bread  of  life."  But  the  difficulty  will  instantly  van- 
ish when  we  consider  that  it  is  by  means  of  the  truth 
contained  in  the  Bible,  that  Christ  is  presented  to 
the  soul  as  the  bread  of  life.  It  is  from  this  holy 
book  we  obtain  our  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  of 
the  fullness  of  grace  and  truth  which  is  to  be  found 
in  him.  We  are,  accordingly,  sometimes  represent- 
ed as  feeding  upon  Christ,  and  sometimes  upon  the 
truth,  or  word  of  God.  Both  expressions  have  sub- 
stantially the  same  meaning. 

Let  it  be  further  remarked,  that  there  are  two 
principal  methods  by  which  this  food  is  obtained. 
The  first  is,  by  going  directly  to  the  Bible,  the  grand 
repository  of  sacred  truth.  This,  every  Christian, 
in  ordinary  circumstances,  is  bound  to  do  daily,  and 
more  than  once  in  a  day.  Most  people  partake  of 
temporal  food  thrice  a  day.  And  if  Christians  would 
enjoy  spiritual  health,  they  must  do  the  same  in  re- 
lation to  "  that  meat  which  endureth  to  everlasting 
life."  Besides,  as  we  have  our  stated  seasons  for 
partaking  of  temporal  food,  it  is  highly  important 
that  we  adopt  a  similar  arrangement  in  regard  to 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  11 

spiritual  food.  Particular  portions  of  each  day — 
say  in  the  morning,  at  noon,  and  at  night — should 
be  devoted  to  the  work  of  perusing  the  sacred  vol- 
ume, and  meditating  on  its  precious  and  glorious 
truths.  And  it  is  very  important  that,  in  attending 
to  the  Bible,  we  peruse  it  in  course ;  otherwise  por- 
tions, perhaps  some  very  interesting  portions  of  it, 
will  be  wholly  neglected.  Besides,  we  should  la- 
bour to  understand  what  we  read ;  to  read,  and  not 
understand,  will  be  of  no  use  to  us.  Our  food  does 
us  no  good  unless  it  be  digested :  and  divine  truth, 
precious  and  glorious  as  it  is,  is  equally  useless,  un- 
less it  be  understood.  It  is  almost  equally  important 
that  much  of  the  Bible  be  treasured  up  in  memory. 
Truths  read  and  forgotten,  are  not  likely  to  be  of 
any  permanent  benefit  to  the  soul.  They  are  of  no 
use  any  longer  than  they  are  remembered.  I  could 
name  an  individual  who,  in  early  life,  adopted  the 
following  method  of  perusing  the  Scriptures.  He 
divided  the  whole  Bible  into  three  sections  ;  the 
first  comprising  the  Old  Testament  as  far  as  the  end 
of  Esther  ;  the  second,  all  the  remainder  of  the  Old 
Testament ;  while  the  third  contained  the  whole  of 
the  New.  He  read  each  of  the  three  sections  in 
course,  and  a  portion  of  each  every  day.  And  it 
was  his  practice  when  he  found  a  passage  uncom- 
monly interesting,  to  pay  particular  attention  to  it. 
If,  for  example,  it  furnished  proof  of  any  doctrine, 


12  CAUSES    OF 

or  contained  a  promise,  or  a  threat,  or  an  invitation, 
or  any  thing  remarkably  pathetic,  sublime,  or  beau- 
tiful, or  proper  to  be  used  in  prayer,  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  stop,  and  read  the  passage  over,  leisurely, 
several  times,  until  it  v\^as  pretty  thoroughly  imprint- 
ed on  his  memory.  He  would  then  read  on  as 
usual.  And  this  course  he  pursued  for  months  and 
years.  The  result  was  that,  in  process  of  time,  and 
without  much  labor,  he  had  treasured  up  a  very 
considerable  portion  of  the  whole  Bible  in  memory, 
and  such  parts  of  it,  too,  as  are  peculiarly  important 
and  valuable.  Hence,  he  found  himself  furnished 
with  plenty  of  materials  for  the  most  profitable 
meditation — materials  always  in  readiness ;  so  that 
when  he  was  engaged  in  secular  business,  or  was  on 
a  journey,  or  was  hindered  in  any  other  way  from 
reading  the  Bible,  its  contents  were  so  familiar  that 
he  could  proceed  with  the  most  interesting  trains  of 
thought,  with  nearly  the  same  pleasure  and  success, 
as  he  could  expect  to  enjoy  with  the  Bible  in  his 
hand.  Such  was  the  course  adopted  by  the  individ- 
ual in  question  :  and  such  were  some  of  the  benefits 
he  derived  from  it.  And  would  it  not  be  well  for 
all  Christians  who  can  read,  to  adopt  a  similar 
course  ?  Would  it  not  contribute  greatly  to  pro- 
mote the  spirit  and  power  of  religion  in  their  souls  ? 
And  is  not  the  neglect  of  this  holy  book  one  great 
reason  why  so  many  Christians  at  the  present  time 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  13 

are  in  a  feeble,  famished,  languishing  condition  ?  It 
is  as  certain  as  any  thing  demonstrated  in  the  math- 
ematics, that  holy  exercises  of  heart  are  all  depend- 
ent on  the  truths  of  the  Bible.  Without  the  influ- 
ence of  these  truths,  the  greatest  Christian  in 
the  world  would  lose  his  spiritual  life,  and  sink  into 
the  condition  of  those  who  are  dead  in  tresspasses  and 
sins.  And  can  we  wonder  that  such  multitudes  of 
professed  Christians  are  at  present  laboring  under 
a  sad  decline  in  regard  to  their  spiritual  hfe,  and 
seem  hardly  adequate  to  the  performance  of  any  spi- 
ritual duty  ?  The  Bible  is  neglected  by  them.  They 
seldom  read  it ;  and  when  they  do,  it  is  done  in  such 
a  careless  and  hurried  manner  as  to  impart  no  in- 
struction, and,  consequently,  no  nourishment  to  their 
souls.  Our  temporal  food  does  us  but  Httle  good 
unless  it  be  taken  leisurely,  and  be  properly  digest- 
ed. The  same  is  true  of  that  food  which  endureth 
to  everlasting  life. 

An  objector  may  here  say  "  It  is  only  a  few  mo- 
ments of  each  day  that  we  can  devote  to  reading  of 
any  kind :  and  if  we  read  the  Bible  as  much  as  you 
recommend,  we  can  read  no  other  works  whatever. 
Shall  we  then  neglect  to  read  the  religious  publica- 
tions of  the  day  ?  Shall  we  leave  off" taking  religious 
newspapers  and  magazines  ?  Must  we  dismiss  all 
books  but  the  Bible  ?" 

In  reply  I  would  remark,  that  if  an  individual  is 

2* 


14  CAUSES   OF 

SO  situated  that  he  must  either  dismiss  his  Bible,  or 
all  other  books,  the  latter  should,  unquestionably,  be 
done.  The  Bible  contains  a  far  richer  treasure  than 
all  the  other  books  in  the  world.  But  the  alterna- 
tive above  stated  does  not  often  exist.  Even  the 
man  who  is  immersed  in  secular  business  can  find 
time,  if  he  earnestly  desires  it,  for  reading  the  Bible 
several  times  in  a  day,  and  for  consulting  commen- 
taries, and  for  perusing,  at  least  one  religious  peri- 
odical besides.  The  same  is  true  of  the  man  who 
is  so  indigent  that  he^has  to  labor  hard  for  his  daily 
bread.  Early  rising,  a  suitable  division  of  time,  and 
abstinence  from  idle  conversation  and  vain  amuse- 
ments, will  enable  any  man,  who  enjoys  his  liberty 
and  his  health,  to  devote  more  than  one  hour,  every 
day,  to  profitable  reading. 

There  is  another  method  of  obtaining  the  bread 
of  life ;  and  that  is  by  attending  on  the  preached 
gospel.  This  is  recommended  by  some  advantages 
which  do  not  accompany  the  perusal  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. The  great  truths  of  revelation  as  exhibited 
in  the  Bible  resemble  the  various  productions  of  the 
earth  as  they  are  found  in  the  field,  or  in  the  store. 
The  same  truths  as  exhibited  from  the  pulpit  by  a 
scribe  well  instructed  in  the  kingdom  of  God, 
may  be  compared  to  food  dressed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  faithful  steward,  and  set  on  the  table.  It  is 
on  some  accounts  better  adapted  to  the  nourishment 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  15 

of  our  bodies  than  it  was  in  its  original  state.  And 
this,  no  doubt,  is  one  reason  why  the  Lord  who  is 
so  attentive  to  all  our  spiritual  wants,  has  ordained 
the  ministry  of  his  word  as  the  grand  means  of  feed- 
ing his  church  and  saving  souls.  There  is  this  ad- 
ditional advantage  attending  the  preached  gospel, 
that  if  the  word  is  skilfully  divided,  each  hearer  has 
such  a  portion  of  spiritual  food  assigned  him,  as  his 
peculiar  state  and  circumstances  require.  To  babes 
in  Christ  milk  is  administered  ;  while  strong  meat  is 
provided  for  such  of  the  family  of  God  as  have  at- 
tained to  maturity  of  age. 

It  is,  however,  important  to  observe,  that  there  is 
one  disadvantage  attending  the  reception  of  our  spir- 
itual food  from  the  hands  of  the  ordinary  ministers 
of  the  gospel.  As  they  are  not,  however  skilful 
and  pious,  divinely  inspired,  they  are  liable  to  adul- 
terate the  word  of  God  by  mixing  errors  with  the 
truths  which  they  exhibit.  Now,  whatever  some 
may  think,  error  is  not  food,  but  poison  to  the  soul. 
And  this  poison  is,  in  many  cases,  so  intimately  com- 
bined with  the  bread  of  life,  and  so  powerfully  re- 
commended by  the  eloquence  of  the  preacher,  and 
the  high  rank  he  holds  in  our  estimation,  that  we  are 
in  great  danger  of  receiving  it  without  hesitation, 
and  are,  consequently,  liable  to  suffer  much  in  re- 
gard to  our  spiritual  health,  without  even  suspecting 
the  cause  of  our  misfortune.      This  consideration. 


16  CAUSES    OF 

however,  should  not  hinder  us  from  going  to  the 
house  of  God  to  hear  his  word  dispensed ;  but  should 
rather  excite  us  to  analyze  all  we  hear  from  the  pul- 
pit, and  to  separate,  as  far  as  possible,  the  precious 
from  the  vile,  comparing  both  with  the  infallible 
standard  presented  in  the  word  of  God.  And  this 
exercise,  though  at  first  it  is  likely  to  be  somewhat 
painful,  is  eminently  adapted  to  advance  the  Chris- 
tian in  spiritual  knowledge,  and,  consequently,  to 
increase  his  ability  to  digest  that  "  strong  meat,"  of 
which  St.  Paul  speaks  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  his 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

Now  in  regard  to  this  latter  method  of  obtain- 
ing the  bread  of  life,  there  is,  unquestionably,  a 
most  criminal  neglect  on  the  part  of  professors  of 
religion.  They  do  not  attend  on  the  preached 
word  so  punctually  as  they  ought,  and  a  large  por- 
tion of  those  who  do  attend  with  a  good  degree  of 
punctuality  on  the  Sabbath,  are  still  neglectful  of  re- 
ligious meetings  on  secular  days,  and  frequently  ab- 
sent themselves  without  any  good  reason.  Nor  is 
this  all.  They  do  not  hear,  when  they  do  attend, 
with  becoming  interest.  Their  thoughts  are  too  of- 
ten wandering,  with  the  fool's  eye,  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth.  And,  frequently,  when  their  atten- 
tion is  sufficiently  fixed,  they  hear  as  mere 
speculatists,  without  applying  the  truth  to  them- 
selves, and  mixing  it  with  faith.     Hence,  though 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  17 

interested  and  entertained^  they  are  not  profited ; 
they  get  no  food  for  their  souls.  This,  alas  !  seems 
to  be  true  of  multitudes  of  professors  at  the  present 
day,  even  of  such  as  are  assiduous  in  their  attend- 
ance on  the  ministry  of  the  word.  The  gospel 
comes  to  them  rather  as  the  word  of  man,  than  as 
the  word  of  God.  Hence,  though  it  may  please 
them,  it  is  of  no  real  benefit.  They  go  to  the  sanc- 
tuary of  God,  as  people  go  to  the  theatre,  to  be 
amused ;  and  no  wonder  that  amusement  is  all  they 
obtain.  The  most  evangelical  and  able  discourses 
are  in  a  great  measure  lost  upon  them.  An  abun- 
dance of  the  bread  of  life  is  set  before  them.  They 
look  upon  it,  admire  it,  and  praise  it.  And  there 
the  matter  ends.  They  do  not  feed  upon  it,  and 
therefore  pine  and  languish  in  the  midst  of  plenty. 

There  are  many  who  neglect  the  preached  word, 
under  the  pretence  that  the  man  who  dispenses  it  is 
not  an  interesting  preacher.  He  is  not  so  learned, 
or  so  ingenious,  or  so  eloquent,  as  he  should  be.  He 
does  nothing  more  than  exhibit  plain  truth  in  a  plain 
manner.  They  want  something  different.  They 
resemble  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  who  be- 
came tired  of  the  manna  which  God  had  given  them, 
and  desired  flesh.  God  sent  them  flesh  in  abun- 
dance, and  with  it  sent  the  most  fearful  tokens  of 
his  wrath.  And  persons  who  indulge  the  spirit  of 
those  perverse  Israelites  have  reason  to  tremble  lest 


18  CAUSES    OF 

he  should  adopt  a  similar  course  with  respect  to 
themselves,  and,  while  he  "  grants  them  their  request, 
should  send  leanness  into  their  souls."  Alas ! 
alas  !  in  how  many  instances  has  he  done  it  already  ? 
And  let  it  be  remembered  that  professors  of  the  above 
description  are  very  numerous.  What  multitudes 
there  are  who  cannot  hear  a  gospel  sermon  unless 
it  contain  a  great  many  fine  figures,  and  what  they 
call  new  and  striking  thoughts,  embellished  with  the 
charms  of  language  and  the  graces  of  oratory! 
Such  persons,  I  am.  sure,  would  have  considered 
St.  Paul  a  very  dull  preacher.  How  could  they 
bear  to  hear  a  man  who  came  to  them,  "  not  with 
excellency  of  speech  or  of  wisdom,"  and  who  "  de- 
termined not  to  know  any  thing  among  them  save  Je- 
sus Christ  and  him  crucified"  ?  But  such  preaching  as 
that  of  Paul  was,  after  all,  as  good,  at  least,  as  the 
fashionable  preaching  of  the  present  day.  People 
who  paid  a  proper  attention  to  the  preaching  of  this 
great  apostle  were  "  strong  in  the  Lord  and  in  the 
power  of  his  might."  His  discourses  were  full  of 
Christ  that  bread  of  God  which  came  down  from 
heaven.  And  I  cannot  but  think  that  in  proportion 
as  Christian  ministers  of  the  present  day  resemble 
St.  Paul,  their  sermons  and  other  discourses  will  be 
edifying  to  the  man  who  hears  them  with  right  feel- 
ings of  heart.  He  will  grow  in  grace  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  Christ ;  while  those  who,  loathing  this 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  19 

heavenly  manna,  are  seeking  something  else,  must, 
though  real  Christians,  be  weak,  and  dwarfish,  and 
sickly ,  and,  unless  their  course  be  changed,  must 
wait  a  long  time  before  they  attain  to  the  stature 
of  perfect  men  in  Christ. 


CHAPTER  IL 

Improper  connections  with  the  ungodly. 

That  physical  health  is  often  destroyed  by  asso- 
ciating freely  with  persons  afflicted  with  contagious 
diseases,  is  a  fact  too  well  known  to  need  any  proof. 
And  this  evil  has  its  counterpart  in  the  moral  and 
spiritual  world.  By  indulging  ourselves  in  impro- 
per intimacies  with  ungodly  men,  we  are  in  great 
danger  of  becoming  infected  with  their  spirit,  and  of 
copying  their  example.  It  is  indeed  true,  that,  so 
long  as  we  are  in  the  world,  we  must  have  some  in- 
tercourse with  unrenewed  men  ;  not  only  with  the 
decent  and  the  moral,  but  with  those  who  are  dis- 
tinguished by  vice  and  wickedness.  We  frequently 
have  secular  business  to  transact  with  such  men. 
We  are  sometimes  united  to  them  by  ties  of  affinity 


20  CAUSES    OF 

or  consanguinity.  And  it  is  often  our  duty  to  go 
among  them  in  order  to  reclaim  them  from  the  error 
of  their  ways.  Accordingly,  St.  Paul  intimates 
to  his  Corinthian  brethren  that  they  could  not  always 
avoid  the  company,  even  of  fornicators,  unless  they 
would  go  out  of  the  world.  Our  Saviour  him- 
self associated  with  publicans  and  sinners  that  he 
might  have  opportunity  of  speaking  to  them  the 
words  of  eternal  life,  and  of  rescuing  them  from  that 
state  of  moral  pollution  and  degradation  into  which 
they  had  fallen.  Nor  will  any  one  deny  that  this 
was  one  of  the  loveliest  traits  in  the  character  of 
Him  whose  errand  into  the  world  was,  "  not  to  call 
the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance  f  or  assert 
that  it  is  not  lawful  for  his  disciples  to  copy  this  ex- 
cellence in  his  character.  No,  it  unquestionably 
becomes  his  people,  and  especially  his  ministers,  to 
"  go  into  the  streets  and  lanes,  the  highways  and 
hedges,"  and  labour  to  persuade  the  vilest  of  man- 
kind to  come  to  that  feast  which  eternal  wisdom  has 
provided.  And,  blessed  be  God,  many  of  his  peo- 
ple are  assiduously  and  successfully  employed,  at 
present,  in  this  labor  of  love.  And  they  need  not 
fear  the  contaminating  influence  of  so  intimate  an 
intercourse  with  the  profligate  and  vicious.  The 
grace  which  has  prompted  them  to  undertake  this 
benevolent  and  holy  enterprise,  is  sufficient  to  pro- 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  21 

tect  them,  and  will  protect  them  against  the  moral 
infection  to  which  they  are  exposed. 

But  there  are  connections  with  unrenewed  men 
of  a  character  very  different  from  those  to  which 
I  have  now  adverted.  Many  a  professor  of  reli- 
gion has,  without  the  least  necessity,  formed  allian- 
ces, political,  social,  or  matrimonial,  with  individuals 
whose  views  of  religion  were  essentially  corrupt, 
and  whose  morals,  to  say  the  least,  did  not  rise 
above  the  depressed  standard  of  public  opinion 
— a  standard  far  less  elevated  than  that  of  our  Sa- 
viour and  his  apostles.  And  these  alliances  have 
had  the  effect  on  each  of  the  persons  in  question 
which  might  have  been  expected.  His  situation 
has,  to  the  interests  of  his  soul,  been  dangerous  in 
the  extreme.  His  moral  atmosphere  has,  almost 
continually,  been  loaded  with  pestilence  and  deatL 
He  has  gradually  become  assimilated  to  the  char- 
acter of  his  associates :  has  imbibed  their  spirit,  has 
embraced  the  maxims  of  worldly  wisdom  by  which 
he  found  them  governed,  and  has  become  polluted 
with  all  the  moral  diseases  which  had  spread  their 
deleterious  influences  around  him.  The  evil  to  which 
I  have  now  adverted  is  one  of  general  prevalence, 
and  threatens  to  extend  itself  over  the  whole  reli- 
gious community.  It  is  that  friendship  of  the 
world  which  is  enmity  with  God,  and  which  tends  so 
eminently  to  destroy  the  impress  of  his  holiness  on 
3 


22  CAUSES    OP 

the  children  of  his  grace.  It  was  against  this  evil 
that  St.  Paul  lifted  his  warning  voice  in  his  second 
epistle  to  the  church  in  Corinth,  "  Be  ye  not  unequal- 
ly yoked  together  with  unbelievers  ;  for  what  fel- 
lowship hath  righteousness  with  unrighteousness  ? 
and  what  communion  hath  light  with  darkness  ?  and 
what  concord  hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?  or  what  part 
hath  he  that  believeth  with  an  infidel  ?  and  what 
agreement  hath  the  temple  of  God  with  idols  ?  for 
ye  are  the  temple  of  the  living  God ;  as  God  hath 
said,  I  will  dwell  in  them,  and  walk  in  them  ;  and  I 
will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people. 
Wherefore,  come  out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye 
separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not  the  unclean 
thing ;  and  I  will  receive  you,  and  will  be  a  Fa- 
ther unto  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, saith  the  Lord  Almighty."  A  disregard  of  this 
direction,  of  the  reasons  on  which  it  is  founded,  and 
of  the  cheering  assurance  by  which  it  is  enforced^ 
is  one  of  the  prominent  causes  of  the  low  state  of 
religion  among  us.  It  has  polluted  and  paralyzed 
the  Christian  community  ;  and,  unless  counteracted, 
must  soon  reduce  it  to  one  fearful  mass  of  moral 
corruption,  and  entirely  obliterate  the  distinction, 
once  so  fair  and  legible,  between  the  church  of  Je- 
sus Christ,  and  the  world  that  lies  in  wickedness. 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  23 

CHAPTER  III. 

Spiritual  Indolence. 

A  proper  attention  to  exercise,  is  well  known  to 
be  essential  to  the  health  of  the  body.  However 
strong  and  vigorous  the  physical  constitution  of  an 
individual,  his-  strength  in  a  short  time  will  be  great- 
ly impaired,  if  exercise  be  wholly  neglected.  Should 
the  most  athletic  person  you  can  name  betake  him- 
self to  his  bed,  and  lie  there  the  whole  time  for  seve- 
ral months,  he  will  scarcely  be  able,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  time,  to  walk  across  the  floor  of  his 
apartment.  And  he  will  be  singularly  fortunate  if 
disease  has  not  invaded  his  enfeebled  frame.  Now 
there  is,  in  this  respect,  a  striking  analogy  between 
the  body  and  the  soul.  The  latter  needs  exercise 
as  much  as  the  former.  A  want  of  suitable  em- 
ployment tends  greatly  to  enervate  the  intellectual 
powers,  and  to  disqualify  them  for  those  vigorous 
efforts  to  which  they  are  naturally  adapted.  The 
same  holds  when  man  is  considered  as  a  moral 
and  spiritual  being.  Let  the  Christian  who  is  bless- 
ed with  the  most  vigorous  spiritual  health,  neglect  to 
exercise  those  gifts  and  graces  with  which  the  Lord 
has  endowed  him,  and  though  he  were  a  Sampson 
in  "  the  sacramental  host,"  he  must  soon  lose  his 


24  CAUSES   OF 

giant  strength,  and,  on  account  of  the  weakness  he 
betrays,  become  the  sport  and  derision  of  the  ene- 
mies of  God. 

It  deserves  to  be  remembered  here,  that  it  is  not 
every  kind  of  exercise  w^hich  will  answer  the  pur- 
pose. It  is  now  generally  agreed  that  such  labor 
as  is  ordinarily  performed  by  the  industrious  part  of 
the  community  is  most  conducive  to  bodily  health. 
Those  gymnastic  exercises  which  were  so  much  in 
vogue  a  few  years  since,  have  nearly  all  been  laid 
aside.  Experience  has  decided  that  they  are  not 
so  beneficial  to  the  physical  system,  as  those  agri- 
cultural and  mechanical  exercises  in  which  the  great 
mass  of  mankind  are  generally  engaged,  and  from 
which  their  subsistence  is  derived.  The  labors  of 
the  farm  and  of  the  mechanics'  shop,  have,  for  this, 
as  well  as  for  other  reasons,  been  substituted  in  our 
seminaries  of  learning  for  those  of  the  gymnasium, 
which  were  formerly  so  much  extolled.  It  is  now 
settled  that  productive  labor  is  most  conducive  to 
bodily  health.  And  can  any  one  doubt  whether  the 
same  holds  in  regard  to  spiritual  health  ?  Produc- 
tive labor  in  a  spiritual  sense,  is  labor  adapted  to 
promote  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  salvation  of  men ; 
in  other  words,  it  is  the  labor  which  God  requires  ; 
it  is  obedience  to  his  commands.  And  this  his  peo- 
ple invariably  find  most  conducive  to  their  moral 
and  spiritual  health.    Exercises  not  enjoined  by  the 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  25 

word  of  God,  have  no  tendency  to  invigorate  the 
Christian's  spiritual  powers.  They  may  increase 
his  strength  as  an  intellectual  being.  No  doubt  the 
sagacity  of  wicked  men  and  devils  has  often  been 
augmented  by  the  efforts  which  they  have  made  in 
opposition  to  Christ  and  his  kingdom.  But  the  sys- 
tem of  holy  affections  existing  in  the  Christian's 
heart  is  never  strengthened,  but  invariably  weaken- 
ed, by  such  labors,  however  regular  and  systematic, 
as  are  not  enjoined,  or  authorized,  by  the  word 
of  God.  It  is  the  neglect  of  those  exercises  which 
■God  requires  ;  in  other  words,  the  neglect  of  dutt/^ 
which,  for  some  time  past,  has  been  weakening  the 
-spiritual  energies  of  his  people.  They  have,  per- 
haps, been  busily  employed ;  not,  however,  in  serv- 
ing God  or  their  generation  according  to  his  will, 
but  in  useless  speculations,  or  in  sharp  disputes  and 
angry  controversies  ;  or  in  efforts  to  advance  their 
own  sect,  to  the  injury,  if  not  to  the  ruin,  of  other 
■sects  ;  or  in  unjustifiable  endeavors  to  obtain  the 
riches,  honors,  and  pleasures  of  the  world.  There 
has  been  too  much  ground  for  the  complaint  against 
professors  of  our  day,  which  St.  Paul  uttered 
against  professors  of  his  time  ;  "  All  seek  their  own 
not  the  things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's."  A  con- 
stant and  vigorous  effort  to  advanee  his  cause,  in  con- 
formity with  the  directions  of  his  word,  is  rarely  to 
be  met  with.  In  regard  to  this  matter,  though  in- 
3* 


26  CAUSES    OF 

finitely  momentous,  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins 
seem  to  be  slumbering  together.  No  wonder,  then^ 
that  the  former  are  in  a  feeble  and  languishing  condi- 
tion. If  the  reverse  were  true,  we  must  consider 
the  order  of  nature,  in  regard  to  intellectual  and  mo- 
ral beings,  as  essentially  subverted. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Want  of  a  suitable  Control  over  our  Thoughts. 

"  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence,"  is  one  of  the 
most  important  of  those  rules  for  which  we  are  in- 
debted to  the  wisest  of  men.  The  consideration 
which  he  adduces  to  enforce  the  rule,  is  equally  de- 
serving of  our  attention.  "  For  out  of  it,"  that  is, 
out  of  the  heart,  '*  are  the  issues  of  life  ;"  meaning 
either  that  a  man's  life  and  conversation  will  corres- 
pond with  the  state  of  his  heart,  just  as  the  stream  is 
pure,  or  otherwise,  according  to  the  quality  of  the 
fountain  ;  or  else,  that  out  of  a  heart  well  kept  will 
flow  the  streams  of  a  holy  life  and  godly  conversa- 
tion, pleasing  to  God,  and  beneficial  to  ourselves  and 
all  around  us.     In  either  sense,  keeping  the  heart 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  27 

must  be  a  work  of  vast  importance ;  a  work  in 
which  we  ought  to  be  industriously  and  unremitting- 
ly employed.  Accordingly,  the  sacred  writer  who 
has  given  us  the  direction,  says,  not  simply,  "  keep 
thy  heart,"  but  keep  it  "with  diligence;''  nay,  "  with 
all  diligence."  The  most  constant  and  persevering 
assiduity,  in  the  view  of  this  inspired  philosopher 
and  sage,  was  not  too  much  to  be  employed  by  any 
man  in  keeping  his  heart.  The  direction  is,  indeed, 
one  of  wide  extent,  embracing  the  whole  range  of 
duties  which  we  are  bound  to  discharge  in  relation 
to  our  intellectual  and  moral  nature.  The  full  il- 
lustration of  it, ^therefore,  would  require  a  volume, 
instead  of  a  single  chapter,  or  part  of  a  chapter, 
rather,  of  a  short  essay.  I  shall,  of  course,  leave 
the  general  subject  untouched,  and  shall  confine  my- 
self to  the  single  point  which  stands  connected  with 
my  present  object,  namely,  the  proper  regulation  of 
our  thoughts.  This,  to  every  man  who  is  acquaint- 
ed with  the  philosophy  of  the  human  mind,  or  who 
has  been  at  all  accustomed  to  observe  his  own  men- 
tal processes,  must  appear,  a  very  difficult  task.  It 
is  only  to  a  certain  extent  that  our  thoughts  are 
under  our  control.  A  succession  of  ideas  in  the  mind 
is  unavoidable.  The  greatest  effort  on  our  part  to 
detain  an  idea  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  ideas,  is 
not  sufficient  to  ensure  success  for  any  great  length 
of  time.    Other  thoughts  will  crowd  in,  and  banish 


28  CAUSES    OF 

for  a  season  that  which  we  are  seeking  to  detain. 
The  various  relations  among  our  thoughts,  such  as 
those  of  cause  and  effect,  of  resemblance  and  con- 
trast, and  of  contiguity  in  time  and  place,  exert  a 
mighty  influence  on  our  intellectual  powers,  and 
proportionably  increase  the  difficulty  of  subjecting 
them  to  proper  regulation.  Nor  is  this  all.  We 
have  strong  reason  to  believe  that  those  "  principali- 
ties and  powers"  of  which  the  Bible  speak^  those 
"  spiritual  wickednesses  in  high  places"  which  it 
represents  as  "  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,'* 
frequently  inject  into  the  mind,  even  of  a  good 
man,  a  variety  of  thoughts  so  intrinsically  bad,  that 
did  he  not  suspect  the  cause  from  which  they  were 
derived,  he  must  consider  himself  as  utterly  desti- 
tute of  the  grace  of  God.  Still,  there  is  much  which 
we  have  it  in  our  power  to  do  for  the  regulation  of 
our  thoughts.  When,  as  often  happens,  several 
trains  of  thought  are  presented  to  the  mind,  it  can 
select  one  of  them,  and  pursue  it,  disregarding  the 
rest.  It  can  vary  the  train  of  thought  by  change  of 
scenery,  or  change  of  company,  or  change  of 
books.  And  by  cherishing  a  particular  tone  of  mind, 
it  can  secure  a  succession  of  ideas  in  harmony  with 
it.  And  so  far  as  we  have  ability  to  control  and 
regulate  our  thoughts,  we  are,  doubtless,  under  ob- 
ligation to  do  it.  We  are,  of  course,  guilty  in  the 
sight  of  God,  if  instead  of  exercising  this  ability, 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  29 

we  suffer  our  intellectual  movements  to  resemble 
those  of  a  ship  which  has  no  rudder,  and,  conse- 
quently, is  made  the  sport  of  every  wind  that 
blows.* 

In  the  regulation  of  our  thoughts,  the  grand  object 
should  be  to  secure  such  a  succession  of  them  as  is 
adapted  to  foster  right  feelings  of  heart.  It  cannot 
have  escaped  the  notice  of  any  reflecting  man,  that 
as  certain  states  of  mind  give  rise  to  corresponding 
thoughts  ;  so  certain  thoughts  are  suited  to  cherish 
and  promote  certain  states  of  mind.  If,  for  exam- 
ple, you  have  received  an  injury  from  one  of  your 
fellow  men ;  your  thinking  of  that  injury  and  bring- 
ing into  view  the  various  circumstances  of  aggra- 
vation by  which  it  was  attended,  has  a  powerful 
tendency  to  increase  your  resentment  towards  its 
author.  In  lik  e  manner,  if  you  have  received  a  sig- 
nal favor  from  any  one,  the  more  you  revolve  it  in 
your  thoughts,  the  livelier  will  be  your  emotions 
'Of  gratitude  towards  your  benefactor.  Hence, 
wherever  there  exists  a  principle  of  real  piety,  it  can 
•hardly  fail  to  be  cherished  and  heightened  by  med- 
itating on  the  being  and  perfections  of  God,  and  par- 
ticularly, on  that  boundless  grace  which  he  has  so 
signally  manifested  in  the  stupendous  work  of  man's 
redemption.  Such  meditations  are  most  admirably 
fiuited  to  inspire  us  with  love  and  gratitude  to  God, 

*  See  Elements  of  Criticism. 


30  CAUSES    OF 

with  godly  sorrow  for  sin,  with  humble  submission 
to  the  divine  will ;  with  holy  confidence  in  the  di- 
vine promises,  and,  indeed,  with  all  those  devout 
affections  which  the  sacred  volume  enjoins.  It  is 
equally  true,  that  whenever  a  pious  man  allows  him- 
self to  think  without  necessity,  of  the  riches,  honors 
and  pleasures  of  the  world;  and,  especially,  when 
these  become  daily  and  hourly  the  subjects  of  his 
meditation,  the  current  of  his  thoughts  is  directly 
calculated  to  foster  a  worldly  spirit,  and  proportion- 
ably  to  diminish  and  destroy  the  spirit  of  real  piety. 
That  this  is  one  of  the  prominent  evils  of  the 
present  day,  is  to  the  writer  exceedingly  manifest. 
He  does  not,  indeed,  presume  to  invade  the  province 
of  Him  whose  dread  prerogative  it  is  to  search  the 
heart  and  try  the  reins.  But  if  he  may  trust  to  that 
criterion  which  the  great  Preacher  of  righteousness 
has  furnished,  "  Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart 
the  mouth  speaketh,"  he  need  not  hesitate  to  aver, 
that  the  thoughts  of  most  professors  of  religion 
have,  for  a  long  time,  been  principally  occupied  with 
subjects  of  a  worldly  nature.  They  have  been  say- 
ing, "What  shall  we  eat?"  and  "  What  shall  we 
drink  ?"  and  "  Wherewithal  shall  we  be  clothed  ?" 
Or,  if  raised  above  indigence  and  dependence,  they 
have  been  inquiring  how  they  might  secure  the  pro- 
perty which  they  have  acquired,  and  acquire  more. 
What  multitudes,  too,  have  been  employed  in  dis- 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  31 

cussing  the  political  questions  of  the  day  ;  or  in  can- 
vassing the  merits  of  some  favorite  classic  author ; 
or  in  detailing  the  blemishes  and  beauties  to  be  found 
in  the  productions  of  some  new  aspirant  for  a  place 
among  the  elegant  writers  of  the  age  !  Meantime, 
how  little  has  been  said  of  Him  who  is  "  God  mani- 
fest in  the  flesh,"  "  the  brightness  of  his  Father's 
*  glory  and  the  express  image  of  his  person  ;"  or  of 
that  great  redemption  which  he  came  into  the  world 
to  accomplish  ;  or  of  the  precious  soul,  and  its  de- 
praved and  ruined  state ;  or  of  that  dread  eternity 
to  which  it  is  bound  !  And  with  these  facts,  can  we 
reasonably  doubt  with  what  objects  the  thoughts  of 
men,  even  of  professed  Christians,  have  been  prin- 
cipally occupied  ?  Or  can  we  wonder  that,  under 
these  circumstances,  the  religious  state  of  the  Chris- 
tian community  has  been  sinking  lower  and  lower  ? 
If  the  current  of  our  thoughts  exerts  the  important 
influence,  which  we  have  represented  it  as  exerting, 
on  the  feelings  our  hearts,  our  hearts  cannot  fail  to 
be  in  a  wretched  state,  when  for  days,  and  weeks, 
and  months,  the  subjects  of  our  contemplation  are 
principally  of  a  worldly  nature. 

It  will,  indeed,  be  readily  admitted,  that  most  men 
are  under  the  necessity  of  devoting  a  large  portion 
of  their  time  to  secular  affairs  ;  and,  of  course,  are 
obliged  to  think,  more  or  less,  on  subjects  of  a  secu- 
lar nature ;   since  nobody  can  properly  attend  to 


32  CAUSES    OF 

business    of  any   kind   without   bestowing    some 
thought  upon  it.     But  let  conscience  speak,  and  it 
will  declare,  that  a  large  portion  of  our  worldly 
thoughts  have  no  tendency  to  promote  the  success 
of  our  worldly  business.     To  say  nothing  of  those 
speculations  in  which  men  of  a  peculiar  cast  of  mind 
indulge,  and  which  savor  more  of  the  ravings  of  in- 
sanity than  of  the  chastened  operations  of  a  sound 
understanding — speculations    in   which    the    indi- 
vidual   supposes   himself  to    experience  the  most 
surprising  elevations  of  fortune  ;  to  make  his  way 
in  a  few  months,  and  even  in  a  few  days,  from  in- 
digence and  obscurity  to  the  very  pinnacle  of  world- 
ly greatness ;   how  true  it  is   that  a  very  large 
proportion  of  men's  thoughts  respecting  their  secu- 
lar affairs,  which  cannot  be  denominated  romantic 
or  extravagant,  are  nevertheless  entirely  superflu- 
ous,   contribute    nothing  to  the  maturity  or  per- 
fection of  their  worldly  schemes,  and  serve  no  other 
purpose  than  to  foster  a  wordly  spirit,  and  to  ex- 
clude the  thoughts  of  God,  and  eternal  realities  from 
their  minds  !     We  cannot  have  a  clearer  proof  of 
this  point  than  the  well  known  fact  that  at  those 
•seasons  in  which  the  people  of  God  are  blessed  with 
a  revival  of  religion  in  their  souls,  and  live  for  a  time 
truly  devoted  to  God,  their  thoughts  are  almost  ex- 
clusively employed  in  the  contemplation  of  heaven- 
ly things,  and  still  their  worldly  business  is  as  well 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  33 

managed,  and  is  prosecuted,  to  say  the  least,  with 
as  much  success,  as  it  was  when  it  engrossed  their 
whole  attention. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Neglect  of  prayer ;  particularly,  of  sbcrbt  prayer. 

As  that  prayer  which  is  acceptable  to  God,  im- 
plies right  feelings  of  heart ;  so  the  right  perform- 
ance of  this  duty  has  a  powerful  tendency  to  pre- 
serve the  heart  in  a  holy  and  heavenly  frame,  and  to 
prevent  those  spiritual  decays  which  the  disciples 
of  Christ  too  often  experience.  The  very  act  of 
approaching  unto  God,  and  holding  converse  with 
him,  is  admirably  adapted  to  inspire  us  with  those 
holy  affections  which  he  requires,  and  the  posses- 
sion of  which  is  so  ennobling  to  the  human  mind. 
Engaging  in  the  duty  of  prayer  necessarily  involves 
a  direction  of  the  mind  towards  Him  in  whose  char- 
acter all  possible  excellencies  are  combined;  to 
whom  belong  the  incomprehensible  attributes  of 
omnipresence,  omniscience,  and  almighty  power; 
whose  righteousness  is  like  the  great  mountains,  and 
whose  judgments  are  a  mighty  deep  ;  who  is  so 
4 


34  CAUSES    OF 

pure  that  the  heavens  are  not  clean  in  his  sight ; 
and  so  bountiful  and  gracious  that  he  causes  his  sun 
to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  his 
rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust ;  nay,  so  compas- 
sionate and  kind,  that  he  has  given  his  only  begot- 
ten and  well-beloved  Son  to  suffer  and  die  for  our  re- 
bellious race,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  may 
not  perish  but  have  eternal  life  ;  and  who,  while  he 
sways  his  sceptre  over  all  worlds,  is  so  managing 
the  vast  concerns  of  the  universe  as  to  render  them 
all  subservient  to  his  own  glory,  and  to  the  highest 
happiness  of  his  moral  kingdom.  It  cannot  appear 
strange,  therefore,  that  the  man  who  has  daily  inter- 
course with  God,  should  habitually  feel  that  reve- 
rence and  Godly  fear  which  he  requires,  should  pos- 
sess a  large  measure  of  genuine  humility,  should 
mourn  for  sin  after  godly  sort,  and  at  the  same 
time  should  cherish  that  holy  confidence  in  God  so 
eminently  suited  both  to  tranquillize  the  mind,  amidst 
all  the  changes  and  revolutions  of  the  world,  and  to 
prepare  it  for  vigorous  efforts  in  the  cause  of  Christ 
and  of  human  happiness.  Nor  is  it  less  true  that 
the  duty  of  prayer,  rightly  performed,  is  admirably 
adapted  to  make  a  man  feel  the  real  dignity  of  his 
nature.  Nothing  shows  the  greatness  of  the  human 
mind  in  so  striking  a  light  as  its  possession  of  those 
capacities  and  powers  which  qualify  it  to  know,  to 
serve,  and  to  enjoy  its  Creator.     The  prayerless 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION. 


35 


man  has  no  idea  of  the  real  grandeur  of  his  own 
soul.  Estranged  from  God,  he  cannot  know  what 
pure  and  exalted  pleasures  his  intellectual  and  mor- 
al nature  is  fitted  to  enjoy.  He  has  pride  and  van- 
ity in  abundance  ;  but  no  just  sense  of  the  dignity 
of  his  nature.  Nor  can  he  ever  attain  it  till  he 
knows  by  happy  experience  what  it  is  to  approach 
unto  God,  and  exercise  towards  him  those  pious  af- 
fections which  the  right  performance  of  the  duty  of 
prayer  necessarily  involves.  It  is  equally  true,  that 
vi^hen  the  real  Christian  neglects  this  duty,  he  loses 
in  a  great  measure  those  views  and  feelings  of  which 
the  man  who  never  prays  is  habitually  and  totally 
destitute  ;  and  is,  of  course,  deprived  of  that  securi- 
ty against  declension  and  apostasy  which  the  people 
of  God,  in  their  best  days,  are  wont  to  enjoy. 

But  we  must  not  stop  here.  The  duty  of  prayer 
is  especially  valuable  as  a  means  of  obtaining  from 
Him  whom  we  address,  the  various  blessings  of 
which  we  stand  in  need.  God  hears  and  answers 
prayer.  Of  this  no  one  can  entertain  a  doubt  who 
believes  the  declarations  of  the  inspired  volume.  It 
asserts  in  the  plainest  terms  the  availableness  of 
prayer.  It  represents  the  Almighty  as  saying  to 
each  of  his  people,  "  Call  upon  me  in  the  day  of 
trouble  ;  I  will  deliver  thee  ;  and  thou  shalt  glorify 
me."  It  assures  us  that  "  the  effectual  fervent  prayer 
of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much."     It  introduces 


36  CAUSES   OF 

our  Saviour  as  saying  to  his  disciples,  "  Ask,  and  it 
shall  be  given  you :  seek,  and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock, 
and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.  For  every  one 
that  asketh,  receiveth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh,  findeth ; 
and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened.  If  ye, 
being  evil,  knov^  how^  to  give  good  gifts  to  your 
children ;  how  much  more  shall  your  Father  w^ho 
is  in  heaven  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
him  !"  Nov^^  the  duty  of  prayer  must  be  highly  im- 
portant to  us,  if  it  be  thus  prevalent  with  God  ;  es- 
pecially, if  by  means  of  it  we  can  obtain  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  better,  unspeakably  bet- 
ter, than  all  the  riches,  honors,  and  pleasures  of  the 
world.  To  have  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  us  as 
our  teacher,  sanctifier,  and  comforter,  is  to  be  filled 
with  all  the  fulness  of  God ;  to  have  Christ  in  us  the 
hope  of  glory ;  to  be  blessed  with  all  spiritual  bless- 
ings in  heavenly  places ;  nay,  to  be  temples  of  the 
living  God,  and  to  experience,  on  earth,  the  earnest 
and  the  commencement  of  eternal  life  and  glory  in 
heaven.  How  conducive,  then,  must  the  duty  of 
prayer  be  to  the  Christian's  spiritual  prosperity! 
and  how  great  the  loss  which  he  must  sustain  from 
the  habitual  neglect  of  it !  And  can  we  doubt  wheth- 
er this  neglect  is  one  cause  of  the  low  state  of  reli- 
gion among  us  ? 

"  But  is  it  true  that  the  duty  of  prayer  is  neglect- 
ed by  the  people  of  God  ?     Do  they  not  assemble 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  37 

as  usual  for  religious  worship  on  the  Lord*s  day  ? 
Do  not  many  assemble  for  the  same  purpose  in  the 
vestry,  or  conference  room,  on  secular  days  ?  And 
do  not  Christians  generally  offer  the  morning  and 
evening  sacrifices  on  the  family  altar  ?" 

That  these  duties  are  performed  by  many  will  be 
readily  granted.  But  is  it  not  a  lamentable  truth, 
that  many  professors  of  religion  absent  themselves 
a  large  portion  of  the  time  from  our  worshipping  as- 
semblies on  the  Lord's  day  ?  that  in  many  places  the 
vestry  and  the  conference  room  are  almost  deserted  ? 
and  that  the  family  altar  in  many  Christian  families  is 
seldom  approached  ?  and  is  it  not  equally  true  that, 
when  the  duty  of  prayer  is  performed,  it  is  generally 
characterized  by  such  coldness  and  formality,  as 
hardly  to  deserve  the  name  of  prayer  ?  There 
seems  to  be  little  or  nothing  of  that  holy  warmth 
and  fervor  by  which  the  prayers  of  God's  people 
were  once  distinguished.  And  can  it  be  supposed 
that  when  social  prayer  is  so  much  neglected,  or  so 
heartlessly  performed,  secret  prayer,  if  performed 
at  all,  is  characterized  by  those  feelings  of  heart 
which  render  it  acceptable  to  God? 

Let  it  be  here  remarked  that  the  neglect  of  secret 
prayer  is  probably  a  principal  cause  of  the  neglect, 
or  unacceptable  performance  of  the  duty  of  social 
prayer,  and  of  all  that  stupidity  and  worldliness, 
and  inattention  to  the  things  of  God  of  which,  at 


38  CAUSES    OP 

at  present,  there  is  so  much  reason  to  complain.  It 
is  an  old  and  a  just  saying  among  pious  people,  that 
"  declension  begins  at  the  closet  door.^^  A  profess- 
or of  religion  is  much  more  likely  to  neglect  secret 
than  social  prayer.  He  cannot  neglect  the  latter 
without  exposing  himself  to  the  animadversions  and 
reproaches  of  both  saints  and  sinners  ;  nor,  conse- 
quently, without  impairing  his  reputation  as  a  reli- 
gious man.  His  absence  from  the  meeting  house, 
or  the  vestry,  or  the  family  altar,  at  the  usual  sea- 
sons of  devotion,  cannot  fail  to  be  noticed  and  cen- 
sured by  those  around  him.  His  fellow  Christians 
who  are  steadfast  in  their  profession  cannot  witness 
such  neglect  without  feelings  of  regret  and  disappro- 
bation. Nor  can  it  escape  the  sentence  of  condem- 
nation from  unconverted  men,  who,  though  they 
have  no  proper  regard  to  religion  themselves,  per- 
ceive the  glaring  inconsistency  which  marks  the 
conduct  of  those  who  profess  to  be  her  votaries,  and 
yet  pay  little  or  no  attention  to  the  duties  which  she 
enjoins.  Hence,  many  a  professor  is  induced  to 
attend  on  the  stated  exercises  of  social  prayer,  al- 
though he  has  lost  his  interest  in  them,  and  no  long- 
er feels  that  it  is  good  for  him  to  draw  near  to  God. 
But  the  same  does  not  hold  in  regard  to  secret  pray- 
er. This  may  be  neglected  for  weeks  and  months, 
without  exposing  the  delinquent  to  censure  or  re- 
proach. There  is,  accordingly,  much  reason  to  fear 
that  it  is  nedected  by  multitudes  of  professors  whose 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION. 


reputation  as  religious  men  stands  high,  and  whose 
seat  is  seldom  empty  at  any  of  the  appointed  sea- 
sons of  social  worship.     But  the  omission  of  closet 
duties  is  eminently  prejudicial  to  the  power  of  godli- 
ness in  the  soul.     It  is  in  the  closet  we  have  the 
freest,  the  most  intimate,  and  the  most  ennobling  in- 
tercourse with  the  Father  of  our  spirits.     It  is  there, 
especially,    that  we     '^ draw  near    to   God"    and 
"  pour  out  our  hearts  before  him."     In  the  closet, 
wc  can  be  as  particular  as  we  please  in  confessing 
our  sins,  in  naming  the  trials  and  temptations  which 
have  befallen  us,  in  recounting  the  various  blessings 
which  we  have  received,  and  in  asking  for  those  of 
which  we  stand  in  need.     Accordingly,  it  is  in  the 
closet  that  the  engaged  Christian  finds  relief  frorji 
the  burdens  and  overwhelming  anxieties  which  he 
experiences :  and  it  is  there  he  enjoys  those  fore- 
tastes of  heaven  which  wean  him  from  the  world, 
secure  him  against  temptation  to  sin,  and  stimulate 
him  to  the  vigorous  discharge  of  all  the  duties  of  the 
Christian  life.     Indeed,  the  lively,  devoted  Chris- 
tian finds  in  his  closet  a  fountain  of  living  waters* 
in  partaking  of  which,  his  soul  is  daily  refreshed' 
and  satisfied,  and  prepared  to  "  endure  hardness  as 
a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ."     It  is  preeminently 
true  in  regard  to  his  secret  devotions,  that  by  "  wait- 
ing on  the  Lord  he  renews  his  strength,"  and,  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  enabled  to  "  mount  up  as 


40  CAUSES    OP 

on  eagles*  wings ;  to  run  and  not  be  weary ;  to 
walk,  and  not  faint."  And  can  he  neglect  an  exer- 
cise so  conducive  to  his  preservation  from  sin,  and 
to  his  growth  in  grace  without  experiencing  a  sad 
decline  in  his  spiritual  condition  ?  This  neglect  is, 
unquestionably,  one  cause  of  the  low  state  of  reli- 
gion among  us.  The  result  of  it  is  an  entire  desti- 
tution of  the  means  of  defence  against  our  spiritual 
foes.  There  is  nothing  like  intercourse  with  God  in 
the  closet  to  fortify  us  against  the  allurements  of 
the  world,  the  assaults  of  the  prince  of  darkness, 
or  the  depraved  dispositions  of  our  own  hearts.  Be- 
sides, we  may  lay  it  down  as  a  rule  that,  watching 
and  praying  go  together.  We  never  watch  as  we 
ought,  unless  we  pray.  Watching,  without  pray- 
ing, is  a  presumptuous  reliance  on  our  own  wisdom 
and  strength,  and,  of  course,  contributes  nothing  to 
our  safety.  If  we  watch  aright,  we  have  a  deep 
sense  of  our  own  insufficiency,  and  of  our  depend- 
ence on  Him  in  whom  are  boundless  knowledge  and 
everlasting  strength.  It  is  the  vigilance  of  one 
whose  soul  is  filled  with  adoring  thoughts  of  the  all- 
pervading  presence  and  agency  of  Jehovah ;  and 
who,  while  disposed  to  walk  amid  surrounding  dan- 
gers with  a  cautious  circumspection,  feels  that  his 
help  is  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  who  made  heaven 
and  earth.  And  this  holy  vigilance,  which,  as  we 
have  seen,  implies  a  punctual  and  faithful  discharge 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  41 

of  closet  duties,  is  one  of  our  best  securities  against 
defection  ;  nay,  without  a  good  degree  of  it,  no 
Christian  was  ever  able  to  maintain  a  close  and 
humble  walk  with  God.  An  unwatchful  frame  of 
mind  is  the  almost  certain  precursor  of  declension 
and  apostasy. 

There  is  another  point  of  view  in  which  the  neg- 
lect of  secret  prayer  may  account  in  a  very  satis- 
factory manner  for  the  present  low  state  of  reli- 
gion among  us.  There  is  scarce  any  duty  the  omis- 
sion of  which  is  more  offensive  to  God.  It  involves 
a  most  criminal  disregard  of  his  favor,  and  of  the 
manifestations  of  that  love  which  he  bears  to  his 
people.  Suppose  a  man  of  very  high  rank  in  socie- 
ty, and  of  distinguished  excellence,  both  intellectua 
and  moral,  should  manifest  to  me  a  peculiar  attach- 
ment ;  should  release  me  from  prison  and  from 
chains,  at  a  very  great  expense,  should  raise  me  to 
an  honourable  post  in  the  community  ;  and,  among 
other  tokens  of  his  favor,  should  invite  me  to  pass 
half  an  hour  with  him  in  retirement,  every  morn- 
ing and  evening,  for  the  purpose  of  free  conver- 
sation on  subjects  intimately  connected  with  my 
present  happiness  and  future  prospects.  Suppose 
that,  for  several  months,  I  am  punctual  in  my  com- 
pliance with  his  generous  invitation.  I  repair  to 
the  mansion  where  he  resides,  every  morning  and 
evening,  and  am  always  greeted  with  a  hearty  wel- 


42  CAUSES    OF 

come.  He  meets  me  at  the  door,  takes  me  by  the 
hand,  leads  me  to  his  presence-chamber,  converses 
with  me  in  the  most  condescending  and  gracious 
manner,  gives  me  his  best  advice  in  all  my  perplex- 
ities, sympathizes  with  me  in  all  my  sorrows  and 
joys,  and  kindly  proffers  his  assistance  whenever  I 
may  need  it.  And  suppose  that,  during  the  whole 
time  of  my  intimacy  with  him,  he  has  not,  in  a 
single  instance,  given  me  the  least  ground  for  dis- 
satisfaction. Suppose  again,  that,  after  the  expira- 
tion of  a  few  months,  becoming  tired  of  these  inter- 
views, I  neglect  to  repair  to  the  house  of  my  gener- 
ous friend,  and  do  not  see  him  in  private  for  a  long 
time.  What  must  be  his  feelings  ?  How  pungent 
the  sense  he  must  have  of  my  baseness  and  folly  ! 
How  vile  the  ingratitude  which,  in  his  estimation, 
my  conduct  betrays  !  And  how  little  reason  shall 
I  have  to  wonder  if,  provoked  by  so  outrageous  a 
violation  of  generosity  and  friendship,  he  resolve  to 
withdraw  the  tokens  of  his  favor  from  me,  and  leave 
me  to  sink  into  the  state  of  sbscurity  and  wretched- 
ness from  which  he  had  raised  me  !  Nor  should  I 
at  all  mend  the  matter  by  frequently  attending 
his  levee,  and  saluting  him  there  with  seeming  cor- 
diality, as  though  nothing  unpleasant  had  happened 
between  us.  Would  he  deign  to  give  me  his  hand, 
or  any  token  of  his  favor  ?  Nay,  would  he  not  con- 
sider this  show  of  friendship  to  him  in  public,  as  the 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  43 

grossest  insult  which  I  could  offer  him  ?  And,  in- 
stead of  honoring  me  with  a  place  among  his  favor- 
ites, would  he  not  spurn  me  from  his  presence,  as 
deserving  nothing  but  the  severest  tokens  of  his 
displeasure  ?  It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  ap- 
ply this  similitude  to  the  point  in  hand.  This  the 
judicious  reader  has  already  done,  and  he  has  at 
the  same  time  observed  that  the  figure,  though  in 
many  respects  a  striking  one,  falls  far  short,  as  it 
necessarily  must,  of  adequately  representing  the 
case  before  us.  The  goodness  of  the  benefactor, 
and  the  baseness  of  the  individual  supposed  to  be  in- 
debted to  his  bounty,  bear  no  proportion,  on  the 
one  hand,  to  the  goodness  of  God ;  or,  on  the  other, 
to  the  baseness  of  those  Christians,  who,  tired  of 
communion  with  him.  neglect,  for  weeks  and  months, 
to  meet  him  in  the  closet.  And  can  we  wonder  if, 
"thus  slighted  and  abused,  he  withhold  from  such  un- 
grateful creatures  the  communications  of  his  grace, 
and  leave  them  destitute  of  the  light  of  his  counte- 
nance and  the  joy  of  his  salvation  ? 


44  CAUSES   OF 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Temporal  Prosperity. 

It  is  the  saying  of  an  inspired  apostle,  that  "  the 
goodness  of  God  leadeth  unto  repentance."  This 
is,  no  doubt,  its  natural  tendency.  And  when  holy 
affections  exert  a  governing  influence  over  us,  re- 
pentance, and  that  obedience  w^hich  repentance  ne- 
cessarily implies,  are  invariably  produced  in  us  by 
every  exhibition  of  divine  goodness,  and,  conse- 
quently by  that  temporal  prosperity  which  we  so 
frequently  enjoy  ;  for  this  is,  in  all  cases,  to  be  ascri- 
bed to  the  goodness  of  God.  Whatever  efforts  we 
make  for  promoting  our  temporal  welfare,  our  suc- 
cess is  invariably  owing  to  the  smiles  of  his  provi- 
dence. 

That  ungodly  men,  instead  of  being  brought  to 
repentance  by  the  temporal  blessings  which  divine 
goodness  bestows  upon  them,  are,  on  the  contrary, 
rendered  more  bold  and  presumptuous  in  their  sin- 
ful courses,  the  inspired  volume  abundantly  testifies. 
In  the  book  of  Job,  it  is  said,  "  Wherefore  do  the 
wicked  live,  become  old  ;  yea,  are  mighty  in  pow- 
er? Their  seed  is  established  before  them,  and 
their  offspring  before  their  eyes.  Their  houses  are 
safe  from  fear,  neither  is  the  rod  of  God  upon  them. 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  45 

They  send  forth  their  Httle  ones  like  a  flock, 

and  their  children  dance.  They  take  the  timbrel 
and  harp,  and  rejoice  at  the  sound  of  the  organ.'' 
In  other  words,  they  are  men  whom  the  goodness 
of  God  has  blessed  with  abundant  prosperity.  And 
what  effect  does  this  prosperity  have  upon  them  ? 
Does  it  lead  them  up  to  God  as  the  bountiful  be- 
stower  of  every  good  ?  No,  truly.  "  They  say 
unto  God,  Depart  from  us,  for  we  desire  not  the 
knowledge  of  thy  ways.  Who  is  the  Almighty, 
that  we  should  serve  him  ?  And  what  profit  shall 
we  have  if  we  pray  unto  him  ?"  A  similar  com- 
plaint is  made  by  the  author  of  the  73d  psalm.  He  is 
speaking  of  "the  ungodly, who  prosper  in  the  world, 
and  increase  in  riches."  And  he  tells  us  "  they  are 
not  in  trouble  as  other  men,  neither  are  they  plagued 
Hke  other  men."  Nay,  "  their  eyes  stand  out  with 
fatness  ;  they  have  more  than  heart  could  wish." 
And  do  they  acknowledge  and  adore  the  gracious 
hand  which  has  so  signally  blessed  them  ?  No ; 
"  they  set  their  mouth  against  the  heavens,  and  say, 
how  doth  God  know  ?  and  is  there  knowledge  in 
the  Most  High?"  The  same  affecting  truth  is  ex- 
hibited in  that  saying  of  the  wise  man,  "  Because 
sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not  speedily  exe- 
cuted, therefore  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is 
fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil ;"  in  which  passage,  the 
goodness  of  God,  in  sparing  sinful  men,  and  contin- 
5 


46  CAUSES    OF 

uing  to  bestow  upon  them  the  blessings  of  his  pro- 
vidence, is  assigned  as  a  reason  of  their  hardening 
themselves  against  him,  and  filling  up  the  measure 
of  their  iniquity.  Instances  of  this  kind  have  existed 
in  all  past  ages  ;  and  they  are  to  be  met  with  in 
abundance  at  the  present  day. 

"  But  is  it  true  that  God's  people  ever  abuse  his 
goodness  in  this  manner  ?"  At  first  view,  we  should 
probably  all  suppose  the  thing  impossible.  That 
the  heart  which  has  been  humbled  before  God,  and 
subdued  by  the  power  of  his  grace,  should  be 
chargeable  with  a  fault  so  directly  contrary  to  the 
spirit  of  piety,  we  could  hardly  believe.  Judging 
from  the  nature  of  that  holy  love  which  is  the  es- 
sence of  real  piety,  it  would  seem  evident  that  the 
manifestation  of  divine  goodness  in  providence,  as 
well  as  in  redemption,  must  always  melt  the  heart 
of  the  regenerated  man,  and  inspire  him  with  emo- 
tions of  penitence  and  gratitude.  We  should  draw 
the  same  conclusion  from  the  effect  which  we  know 
is  actually  produced  on  the  humbled  sinner  when 
he  first  gives  himself  to  Christ.  Among  the  most 
powerful  means  employed  for  subduing  and  melting 
his  heart,  we  may  reckon  the  view  aflforded  him  of 
the  love  of  God  in  sending  his  Son  to  die  for  sin- 
ners. Nothing  seems  to  aflfect  him  so  much  as  the 
strength,  the  freeness,  and  the  sovereignty  of  that 
love.     It  appears  to  involve  reasons  for  love  and 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  47 

gratitude,  on  his  part,  and  also  for  contrition  and 
obedience,  which  are  quite  irresistible.  Nor  is  the 
humbled  sinner  unaffected  with  the  goodness  of  God 
as  manifested  in  providence.  He  is  greatly  affected 
to  think  how  long  he  has  been  spared,  and  sustained, 
and  blessed  with  health,  and  food,  and  raiment,  and 
friends,  and  prosperity,  in  his  secular  pursuits,  while 
his  heart  has  been  opposed  to  the  divine  govern- 
ment, and  his  conduct  in  a  multitude  of  instances,  a 
most  direct  and  palpable  violation  of  the  divine  com- 
mands. And  he  cannot  believe  that  the  goodness  of 
God,  as  manifested,  either  in  providence  or  re- 
demption, can  ever  have  a  different  effect  upon 
him. 

Still,  nothing  is  more  evident  than  that  the  good- 
ness of  God,  as  manifested  in  the  temporal  prosper- 
ity which  he  affords,  may  be  abused,  not  only  by  the 
ungodly,  but  by  pious  and  holy  men,  in  direct  con- 
trariety to  all  the  sanctified  affections  of  their 
hearts. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  under  the  in- 
fluence of  temporal  prosperity  that  David  was 
prompted  to  the  commission  of  those  sins  which  so 
sadly  tarnished  his  religious  character,  and  inflicted 
so  deep  a  wound  on  the  cause  of  God.  Not  long,  it 
seems,  previous  to  his  fall,  he  had  been  remarkably 
successful  in  the  wars  he  had  waged  against  the 
surrounding  nations.     The  Philistines,  the  Moab- 


48 


CAUSES    OF 


ites,  and  the  Syrians,  at  that  time  a  powerful  nation, 
had  been  recently  subdued.  And  "  David,"  says 
the  inspired  historian,  "  gat  him  a  name,  when  he 
returned  from  smiting  the  Syrians  in  the  valley  of 
Salt,  being  eighteen  thousand  men.  And  he  put  gar- 
risons in  Edom  ;  throughout  all  Edom  put  he  garri- 
sons ;  and  all  they  of  Edom  became  David's  servants. 
And  the  Lord  preserved  David  whithersoever  he 
went."  And  while  he  had  this  great  success  in  his 
wars  with  other  nations,  there  was  no  revolt  among 
his  own  subjects.  They  were  all,  it  would  seem, 
satisfied  with  his  government,  and  attached  to  his 
interest.  It  is,  accordingly,  added,  that  "  David 
reigned  over  all  Israel."  And  what  is  the  effect 
of  this  signal  prosperity  on  the  mind  of  this  great 
and  good  man  ?  Is  he  thankful,  and  humble,  and 
obedient,  to  the  divine  commands  ?  No,  truly.  He 
is  chargeable  with  seduction,  and  adultery,  and  mur- 
der ;  under  circumstances,  too,  which  render  his 
guilt  uncommonly  great  and  aggravated.  Do  any 
doubt  whether  the  rapidity  with  which,  by  the  as- 
sistance of  divine  providence,  he  had  risen  from  one 
stage  of  royal  greatness  to  another,  was  the  occa- 
sion of  the  signal  apostasy  with  which  he  was 
chargeable  ?  Let  them  consider  in  what  manner 
he  conducted  himself,  before  the  period  of  his  pros- 
perity commenced.  From  the  time  he  was  anoint- 
ed by  Samuel  to  that  in  which  he  ascended  the 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  49 

throne  of  Judah,  he  was  generally  in  a  very  afflict- 
ed state.  Hunted  by  Saul  as  a  partridge  on  the 
mountains,  and  exposed  to  hardships  and  dangers 
innumerable  ;  nay,  sometimes  compelled  to  fly 
from  his  native  land,  and  seek  an  asylum  among 
the  enemies  of  Israel,  his  condition  was  as  trying 
as  can  well  be  imagined.  And  during  all  this  time» 
he  acted  the  part  of  a  humble,  pious  man,  devoted 
to  the  interests  of  religion  and  of  his  country.  Nor 
have  we  any  reason  to  doubt  but  that  he  would  have 
pursued  the  same  course  to  the  end  of  life,  had  not 
the  great  temporal  prosperity  with  which  divine 
providence  indulged  him,  corrupted  his  mind,  and 
led  him  astray  from  the  path  of  wisdom. 

We  may  say  much  the  same  in  regard  to  Solo- 
mon, the  son  and  successor  of  David.  His  defec- 
tion is  indeed  ascribed  to  the  influence  of  the  "  out- 
landish women"  belonging  to  his  court.  But  we 
cannot,  I  think,  suppose  that  they  would  ever  have 
induced  him  to  promote  the  abominable  idolatries 
of  the  heathen,  by  building  temples  to  Moloch,  and 
Chemosh,  and  Milcom,  had  not  his  heart  been  cor- 
rupted by  the  unexampled  prosperity  which  he  had 
previously  enjoyed. 

The  case  of  Hezekiah  is  much  in  point.    He  was, 

we  know,  an  eminently  pious  and  godly  man,  and 

one  of  the  best  princes  who  ever  swayed  a  sceptre 

over  the  kindom  of  Judah.    He  did  much  to  cleanse 

5* 


60  CAUSES    OF 

his  country  from  the  impurities  of  idolatry,  and  to 
restore  the  worship  of  Jehovah  among  his  subjects. 
And  during  the  invasion  under  Sennacherib,  king  of 
Assyria,  he  shov^ed  himself  to  be,  indeed,  a  servant 
of  the  living  God.  Of  this,  the  memorable  prayer 
which  he  offered  up  in  the  temple,  on  that  trying 
occasion,  furnishes  the  most  satisfactory  proof.  But 
the  honor  done  him  by  the  king  of  Babylon,  who 
sent  a  solemn  embassy  to  congratulate  him  on  ac- 
count of  his  recovery  from  his  late  sickness,  and  to 
inquire  respecting  the  wonder  done  in  the  land, 
when  the  sun  returned  ten  degrees  backward,  ope- 
rated most  injuriously  on  his  spiritual  feelings.  "  His 
heart  was  lifted  up  to  his  destruction,"  instead  of  be- 
ing expanded  with  gratitude  to  God.  Finding  him- 
self placed  on  the  list  of  the  great  men  of  the  earth, 
he  forgot  the  gracious  hand  which  had  delivered 
him  from  the  Assyrian  invasion,  and  rescued  him 
from  sickness  and  death.  O  how  dangerous  to  the 
soul  is  that  honor  which  cometh  from  man !  Like 
every  other  kind  of  temporal  prosperity,  it  frequent- 
ly becomes  the  means  of  corrupting  the  heart,  and 
turning  it  away  from  God. 

The  ancient  Jewish  church  furnishes  a  very  strik- 
ing illustration  of  the  subject  before  us.  You  will 
find  a  passage  much  to  our  present  purpose,  in  Mo- 
ses' song,  recorded  in  the  32d  chapter  of  Deuteron- 
omy.    "  Remember  the  days  of  old ;    consider  the 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  51 

years  of  many  generations.  Ask  thy  father,  and  he 
will  show  thee ;  thy  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee. 
When  the  Most  High  divided  to  the  nations  their 
inheritance  ;  when  he  separated  the  sons  of  Adam, 
he  set  the  bounds  of  the  people  according  to  the 
number  of  the  children  of  Israel."  That  is,  he  had 
from  the  beginning,  marked  out  Palestine,  "  the  glo- 
ry of  all  lands,"  as  the  destined  possession  of  his 
chosen  people.  It  is,  accordingly,  added,  "  For  the 
Lord's  portion  is  his  people  ;  Jacob  is  the  lot  of  his 
inheritance.  He  found  him  in  a  desert  land,  in  a 
waste  howling  wilderness  ;  he  led  him  about,  he  in- 
structed him ;  he  kept  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye. 
As  an  eagle  stirreth  up  her  nest,  fluttereth  over  her 
young,  spreadeth  abroad  her  wings ;  taketh  them, 
beareth  them  upon  her  wings  ;  so  the  Lord  alone 
did  lead  him,  and  there  was  no  strange  God  with 
him,"  to  challenge  a  part  of  the  glory  due  to  him  on 
account  of  what  he  had  done  for  Israel.  It  is  add- 
ed, "  He  made  him  ride  on  the  high  places  of  the 
earth,  that  he  might  eat  the  increase  of  the  fields  ; 
and  he  made  him  to  suck  honey  out  of  the  rock,  and 
oil  out  of  the  flinty  rock ;  butter  of  kine  and  milk  of 
sheep,  with  the  fat  of  lambs  and  rams,  of  the  breed 
of  Basham,  and  goats,  with  the  fat  of  the  kidneys  of 
wheat ;  and  thou  didst  drink  of  the  pure  blood  of  the 
grape."  Thus  highly  is  Israel  blessed  of  God.  No 
other  nation  ever  enjoyed  such  tokens  of  his  favor. 


52  CAUSES    OF 

And  what  returns  do  they  make  to  Jehovah  for  these 
manifestions  of  his  goodness  ?  Are  they  grateful 
and  obedient  in  proportion  to  the  prosperity  with 
which  he  has  indulged  them  ?  No,  that  very  pros- 
perity is  the  principal  occasion  of  their  departure 
from  the  Lord.  "  Jeshurun  waxed  fat  and  kicked ; 
thou  art  waxed  fat ;  thou  are  grown  thick  ;  thou 
art  covered  with  fatness.  Then  he  forsook  God 
that  made  him,  and  lightly  esteemed  the  rock  of  his 
salvation." 

Such  was  the  effect  of  temporal  prosperity  on  the 
Jewish  church.  The  Christian  church  was  affect- 
ed by  it  in  much  the  same  way.  She  lost  her  spir- 
ituality and  purity  in  consequence  of  the  emolu- 
ments and  honors  lavished  upon  her  by  Constantine 
the  Great,  and  some  of  his  successors.  This  was 
the  real  origin  of  the  great  apostasy  in  the  Christian 
church — an  apostasy  which  changed  the  spouse 
of  Christ  into  "  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abomina- 
tions of  the  earth." 

With  all  these  facts  before  us,  can  we  deem  it 
incredible  that  the  church  in  these  United  States 
should  be  injured  in  the  same  way?  Perhaps  no  nation 
ever  enjoyed  a  greater  share  of  temporal  prosperity 
than  ours  has  generally  done,  since  the  close  of  our 
revolutionary  conflict.  Blessed  with  the  freest  gov- 
ernment on  the  face  of  the  earth,  with  wise  and  sal- 
utary laws,  and  with  almost  unexampled  success  in 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  53 

the  various  departments  of  peaceful  industry,  we 
have  risen  with  great  rapidity  to  wealth  and  power. 
And  in  this  sudden  elevation  of  rank  and  fortune, 
the  members  of  our  churches  have  had  a  share. 
Great  numbers  who  profess  religion,  and  many,  no 
doubt,  who  are  Christians  indeed,  have  risen  to  em- 
inence as  merchants  and  as  statesmen,  and  conse- 
quently have  been  exposed  to  the  contaminating  in- 
fluence of  wealth  and  honor  on  the  human  heart. — 
The  same  influence  has  been  felt  on  a  smaller  scale, 
but  with  almost  equally  injurious  effects,  by  such  of 
our  farmers  and  mechanics  as  profess  to  be  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ.  Indeed,  it  has  been  felt  through 
almost  every  part  of  the  religious  community,  and 
has  greatly  increased  a  worldly  spirit.  Alas,  how 
many  professors  of  religion  most  evidently  look  to 
the  things  which  are  seen  and  temporal,  rather  than 
to  those  which  are  unseen  and  eternal !  Basking 
in  the  sunshine  of  prosperity,  they  speak,  and  act, 
and  feel,  like  those  "  who  have  their  portion  in  this 
life,"  and  who  consider  the  riches,  honors,  and  plea- 
sures of  the  world  as  the  chief  good. 


54  CAUSES    OF 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Desecration  of  the  Sabbath. 

"  The  Sabbath,"  our  Lord  assures  us,  "  was  made 
for  man."  It  is  an  institution  designed,  and  pre-emi- 
nently adapted,  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the 
human  race.  It  is  especially  beneficial  because, 
when  properly  observed,  it  contributes  to  the  pre- 
servation and  increase  in  the  minds  of  men  of  that 
sense  of  religion,  on  which  their  happiness,  both 
here  and  hereafter,  so  much  depends.  The  regular 
return  of  a  day  of  holy  rest,  after  six  days  devoted 
to  the  business  of  the  world,  is  a  rich  blessing  to 
mankind  by  affording  leisure  for  meditation  and 
prayer,  and  reading  the  word  of  God,  in  private ; 
and  also  for  those  public  exercises  of  devotion  which 
usually  characterize  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath 
in  Christian  lands.  Accordingly,  the  people  of  God» 
when  blessed  with  much  of  his  Spirit,  never  fail  to 
rejoice  in  the  return  of  the  Sabbath :  and  they  gen- 
erally obtain  that  refreshment  to  their  souls,  the  rel- 
ish of  which  is  not  lost  during  the  remainder  of  the 
week. 

It  is  however  true,^that  the  benefit  resulting  from 
the  Sabbath  depends  on  the  manner  in  which  it  is 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  55 

kept.  Every  deviation  from  the  requisite  strictness 
detracts  from  the  utility  of  the  institution.  I  am  not 
indeed  about  to  assert,  that  Christians  are  bound  to 
observe  the  Sabbath  in  all  respects  with  the  same 
degree  of  strictness  which  was  enjoined  under  the 
Mosaic  economy.  We  are  not,  for  example,  forbid- 
den, as  the  ancient  IsraeHtes  were,  to  kindle  a  fire 
on  the  Sabbath.  The  condition  of  the  Jewish 
church  resembled  that  of  a  child  during  its 
minority,  when  a  variety  of  restraints  are  ne- 
cessary which  cannot,  without  manifest  impropri- 
ety, be  continued  after  the  individual  has  arrived  at 
adult  age.  This  remark  I  derive  from  St.  Paul. 
In  his  epistle  to  the  Galatian  Christians,  after  say- 
ing, "And  if  ye  be  Christ's  then  are  ye  Abraham's 
seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise,"  the  apos- 
tle adds,  "  Now  the  heir,  so  long  as  he  is  a  child, 
differeth  nothing  from  a  servant,  though  he  be  lord 
of  all ;  but  is  under  tutors  and  governors,  until  the 
time  appointed  of  the  father.  Even  so  we,  when 
we  were  children,  were  in  bondage  under  the  ele- 
ments of  the  world."  Accordingly,  St.  Peter  speaks 
of  the  ceremonial  law  as  "  a  yoke  which,"  says  he, 
"neither  we  nor  our  fathers  were  able  to  bear." 
One  of  the  restraints  which  this  yoke  embraced,  con- 
sisted in  the  rigid  exactness  with  which  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath  was  enjoined.  And  some  Chris- 
tians, with  good  intentions  no  doubt,  though  certain- 
ly without  any  sufficient  warrant  from  the  word  of 


66  CAUSES    OF 

God,  have  in  some  respects  imitated  the  strictness 
of  the  Jewish  observance.  But  after  making  this 
concession,  I  must  say,  that,  at  the  present  time,  the 
danger,  and  the  only  danger,  appears  to  he  on  the 
other  side.  The  day,  unquestionably,  should  be  con- 
sidered as  pre-eminently  holy,  and  the  whole  of  it, 
except  what  is  devoted  to  works  of  necessity  and, 
mercy,  should  be  employed  in  those  religious  exerci- 
ses, which  are  adapted  to  promote  the  salvation  of 
the  soul  and  the  glory  of  God. 

In  mentioning  violations  of  the  Sabbath,  I  shall 
not  insist  on  those  of  the  grossest  kind.  I  shall  say 
nothing,  particularly  of  the  habitual  neglect  of  pub- 
lic worship  on  the  Sabbath,  or  of  employing  the 
time  in  the  business  of  the  farm  or  of  the  shop,  or  in 
posting  accounts,  or  in  making  bargains,  or  in  wri- 
ting business  letters,  or  in  taking  journeys,  or  in  pre- 
paring sumptuous  entertainments.  For  these  are 
all  such  palpable  violations  of  that  holy  day,  that 
professors  of  religion  who  have  any  regard  to  their 
Christian  character  are  not  likely  to  be  chargeable 
with  them.  But  there  is  one  practice  which,  though 
it  is  as  real  a  violation  of  the  Sabbath  as  any  of  the 
things  just  mentioned,  seems  to  have  escaped,  with 
little  or  no  censure,  even  among  the  generality  of 
religious  people.  I  allude  to  the  practice  of  con- 
versing on  topics  of  a  secular  nature,  on  the  Sab- 
bath.    I  do  not  hesitate  to  call  this  a  violation  of  the 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  57 

day.     For  I  cannot  conceive  how  it  can  be  wrong 
to  engage  in  worldly  business  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
right  to  converse  on  worldly  subjects.     The  latter 
exercise  is,  usually,  more  engrossing  to  the  mind 
than  the  former ;  and,  consequently,  tends  propor- 
tionably  more  to  call  off  the  attention  from  God  and 
heavenly  things.     The  pious  farmer  can  be  follow- 
ing his  plough,  or  repairing  his  fences,  or  sowing 
his  seed,  or  gathering  in  the  fruits  of  harvest,  and 
at  the  same  time  be  meditating  on  divine  subjects. 
We  can  hardly  say  the  same  in  relation  to  conver- 
sation on  any  subjects  of  a  worldly  nature.     It  gen- 
erally, while  it  continues,  engages  our  principal,  if 
not  our  whole,  attention.     It  has  of  course,  a  much 
greater  tendency  than  worldly  business,  to  secular- 
ize the  feelings  of  a  pious  man,  and  to  draw  off  his 
thoughts  from  those  momentous  subjects  to  which 
on  the  Sabbath  they  ought  to  be  exclusively  direct- 
ed.    Even  on   secular  days,  a  great  deal  of  time 
ought,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  to  be  spent  in 
speaking  one  to  another  of  the  things  of  God.     This 
we  find  is  universally  the  case  in  times  of  revival ; 
and  no  substantial  reason  can  be  assigned  why  the 
same  practice  should  not  prevail  at  all  other  times. 
How  guilty,  then,  must  those  professors  of  religion 
be,  who,  although  they  abstain  on  the  Sabbath  from 
worldly  business,  allow  themselves  to  converse  free- 
ly on  politics,  on  the  public  news,  on  the  state  of 
6 


68  CAUSES    OP 

the  markets,  on  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  and  on  other 
subjects  of  a  similar  nature !     And  it  deserves  to 
be  considered  that  this  desecration  of  the  Sabbath, 
on  the  part  of  professed  Christians,  is  not  confined 
to  their  own  dwellings,  or  to  those  of  their  friends ; 
but  frequently  takes  place  in  the  environs  and  even 
within  the  precincts  of  the  house  of  God !  How  com- 
mon it  is  in  many  of  our  congregations  for  old  and 
young,  and  professors  of  religion  as  well  as  others, 
to  pass  a  large  portion  of  the  time,  during  the  inter- 
mission of  divine  service,  in  conversing  within  and 
around  the   meeting-house,   on  worldly  subjects ! 
This  is  the  more  lamentable,  not  only  because  it  is 
inconsistent  with  the  acknowledged  sacredness  of 
the  day,  and  with  the  reverence  which  we  owe  to 
the  majesty  of  Him  in  whose  house  we  are,  or  re- 
cently have  been,  assembled ;    but  because  it  tends 
directly  and  most  effectually  to  prevent  our  deriving 
any  substantial  benefit  from  the  offices  of  religion 
on  which  we  are  attending.     If  we  spend  Sabbath 
noon  in  this  manner,  can  it  be  expected  that  we  shall 
profit  much  by  the  services  of  the  morning  ?    If  any 
good  impression  was  made  on  our  minds  by  the 
sermon,  or  the  other  exercises,  must  it  not  be  effa- 
ced by  the  manner  of  passing  the  hour,  or  hours, 
which  immediately  follow  ?     And  what  a  poor  pre- 
paration must  this  be  for  the  services  of  the  after- 
noon /     After  conversing  an  hour  or  two,  perhaps 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  59 

in  a  very  lively  manner,  on  the  affairs  of  the  world, 
are  our  minds  suitably  prepared  for  hearing  the  glo- 
rious gospel,  or  for  uniting  in  the  songs  and  suppli- 
cations of  Zion  ?  Would  it  not  be  better  to  pass 
the  intermission  in  prayer,  and  praise,  and  spiritual 
conversation  ?  Would  not  the  benefit  resulting 
from  the  Sabbath  be  far  greater  than  it  now,  ordi- 
narily, is  ?  Should  we  not  then  "  love  the  habita- 
tion of"  God's  "  house  and  the  place  where  his  hon- 
or dwells"  ?  Would  not  our  souls  be  refreshed,  and 
be  as  a  watered  garden?  And  would  not  the 
preached  word  be  far  more  beneficial  than  it  is  at 
present  ?  Would  it  not  to  the  pious  part  of  our 
assemblies,  be  "  as  the  small  rain  upon  the  tender 
herb,  and  as  showers  upon  the  grass"  ?  And  would 
it  not  be  "  quick  and  powerful"  in  the  hearts  of  the 
ungodly,  nay, "  sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword"  ? 
Oh  how  solemn  and  delightful  would  be  our  wor- 
shipping assemblies,  if  the  whole  Sabbath  were  de- 
voted to  God  !  And  how  great  the  influence  which 
the  Sabbath  would  in  that  case  exert  on  the  general 
state  of  religion  in  the  church  and  in  the  world ! 
And  how  evident  it  must  be  to  every  reflecting 
mind,  that  our  present  mode  of  spending  a  portion 
of  that  holy  day,  tends,  directly,  to  chill  the  ardor 
of  piety,  and  to  destroy  the  spirit  and  power  of  god- 
liness among  us ! 


60  CAUSES    OF 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Precipitancy  in  the  admission  of  candidates  to 
Church  Fellowship, 

There  is  probably  no  church  of  orthodox  Chris- 
tians which  does  not  require  of  those  who  solicit  her 
fellowship  some  account  of  the  work  of  grace  sup- 
posed to  be  wrought  in  their  hearts.  But  there  is 
much  reason  to  fear  that  persons  are  frequently  ad- 
mitted into  the  purest  churches,  without  that  close 
and  thorough  examination  which  ought  to  be  em- 
ployed. This  is  true,  particularly,  in  times  of  great 
religious  excitement.  At  such  seasons  it  is  often 
difficult  to  distinguish  true  religion  from  its  counter- 
feits. Persons  who  are  not  renewed  by  the  grace 
of  God,  and  who  are  not  even  the  subjects  of  very 
deep  convictions,  are,  not  unfrequently,  led  to  think 
seriously  on  the  great  subject  of  religion,  to  devote 
a  considerable  portion  of  their  time  to  religious  con- 
versation, and  religious  meetings,  and  are,  indeed,  so 
altered  in  their  whole  deportment,  that  it  would  seem 
uncharitable  not  to  entertain  a  favorable  opinion  of 
them.  They  have,  besides,  so  many  opportunities 
of  hearing  real  Christians  relate  the  gracious  exer- 
cises of  their  minds,  that  they  obtain  a  general 


RGLIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  Gl 

knowledge  of  Christian  experience,  and  are  able,  if 
jlisposed,  to  play  the  hypocrite  so  adroitly,  as  to  be 
in  no  great  danger  of  detection,  unless  very  thorough- 
ly examined.  Nay,  it  seems  highly  probable  that, 
under  these  circumstances,  such  persons  often  de- 
ceive themselves^  and  imagine  that  the  exercises  of 
their  minds  are  of  the  same  character  with  those 
which  they  hear  related  by  real  Christians.  While 
reading  the  Bible,  or  hearing  sermons,  exhortations 
and  prayers  ;  perhaps,  while  trying  to  pray  them- 
selves, they  have  hopes  and  fears,  joys  and  sorrows 
which  seem  to  them  exactly  similar  to  those  of  the 
real  converts  with  whom  they  associate.  Hence 
when  called  upon  to  relate  the  feehngs  of  their 
minds,  they  without  scruple,  and  without  intending 
to  deceive,  employ  language  expressive  of  real  piety. 
Add  to  this,  that  ministers,  and  Christians  general- 
ly, are  peculiarly  apt  at  such  times  to  be  more  char- 
itable than  they  are  on  ordinary  occasions.  They 
feel  a  very  deep  interest  in  the  religious  state  of  per- 
sons of  the  above  description  ;  they  have  frequently 
conversed  and  prayed  with  them,  and  have  cher- 
ished strong  desires  and  hopes  in  relation  to  the  re- 
sult of  their  religious  impressions.  It  cannot,  there- 
fore, be  wondered  at,  that  when  they  profess  sub- 
mission to  the  Saviour,  they  should  be  acknowledg- 
ed at  once  as  his  disciples.  The  ministers  and 
brethren  who  have  watched  the  progress  of  their 


OS  CAUSES    OP 

convictions  with  such  deep  solicitude,  and  such 
cheering  expectations,  can  hardly  fail  of  being  sat-* 
isfied  with  indications  of  piety  in  these  individuals 
which  fall  very  much  short  of  decisive  evidence  of 
a  real  and  thorough  change  of  heart.  The  result  is 
that  great  numbers,  especially  of  youth  and  children, 
are  admitted  into  the  Church,  who  in  a  short  time 
manifest  an  entire  destitution  of  the  spirit  and  power 
of  true  religion. 

Does  any  one  ask,  what  course  should  be  pursued 
in  cases  of  this  kind?  The  answer  is  ready,  let  the 
minister  and  other  members  of  the  church  prevail 
on  themselves  to  wait  a  while,  till  their  own  minds 
are  settled  and  composed,  and  till  they  have  oppor- 
tunity of  applying  to  these  supposed  converts  the 
test  mentioned  by  our  Saviour — "  By  their  fruits 
ye  shall  know  them."  This  only  can  determine 
whether  the  precious  seed  has  been  received  into 
good  ground,  or  whether  it  has  fallen  into  stony 
places,  or  among  thorns.  The  latter,  judging  from 
the  parable  to  which  we  have  alluded,  may,  to  all 
appearance,  be  as  promising  as  the  former.  It  springs 
up  quickly,  and  looks  green  and  flourishing.  But  af- 
ter a  while  it  is  scorched  or  choked,  and  shows  that 
no  fruit  is  to  be  expected  from  it ;  or,  to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  an  Old  Testament  prophet,  "  the  root  is 
rottenness,  and  the  blossom  goes  up  as  dust."  Alas  ! 
how  many  instances  of  this  kind  have  occurred,  with- 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  63 

in  a  few  years  past !  And  how  have  the  hopes  of 
many  a  godly  minister  been  disappointed,  and  how 
has  his  heart  been  pained,  when  the  goodness  of 
some  whom  he  had  fondly  embraced  as  real  con- 
verts, has  proved  to  be  transient  like  the  morning 
cloud  and  the  early  dew !  Wait,  then,  till  deci- 
sive evidence  of  piety  can  be  obtained. 

Does  any  one  object  that  the  apostles  and  other 
members  of  the  primitive  Church  did  not  wait  ? — 
that  the  3000  converted  on  the   day  of  Pentecost 
were  immediately  admitted  to  church  fellowship  ? — 
that  the  Ethiopian  eunuch  was  baptized  without  de- 
lay?— that  Cornelius  and  his  friends  at  Cesarea 
were  not  required  to  wait  ? — and  that  the  Philip- 
pian  jailer  and  his  family  were  baptized  during  the 
very  night  in  which  they  were  converted  ?     It  may 
be  replied,  that  the  danger  of  deception  was  then 
comparatively  small — that  the   Holy  Spirit  was 
poured  out  in  very  abundant  measures — that  in- 
stances of  conversion  were  peculiarly  marked  and 
striking — and  that  the  external  circumstances  of  the 
church  furnished  a  security  against  the  intrusion  of 
graceless  persons  which  does  not  at  present  exist. 
The  consideration  last  mentioned  deserves  to  be 
particularly  noted.    There  was  but  little  probability 
that  an  individual,  under  the  influence  of  a  worldly 
spirit,  would  profess  to  be  a  disciple  of  Christ  when 
his  so  doing  exposed  him  to  the  loss  of  property, 


64  CAUSES   OP 

of  liberty,  and  of  life.  His  joining  himself  to  the 
persecuted  band  was  one  of  the  strongest  proofs 
which  could  be  furnished,  or  demanded,  that  Christ 
had  been  formed  in  him  the  hope  of  glory.  The  case 
is  evidently  different  where  a  profession  of  the  reli- 
gion of  Christ  subjects  one  to  no  reproach  or  in- 
convenience whatever ;  nay,  causes  his  temporal 
prospects  to  extend  and  brighten. 

But  here  it  may  be  asked,  "  what  connection  has 
the  admission  of  a  few  graceless  persons  into  the 
church,  with  the  low  state  of  religion  among  us  ?" 
In  reply,  I  would  remark,  that  such  persons  are,  at 
best,  a  dead  weight  to  the  church  in  all  her  spirit- 
ual movements.  Destitute,  as  they  are,  of  spiritual 
life,  their  influence  tends  to  chill  the  ardor  of  piety 
in  all  true  Christians  with  whom  they  associate,  to 
lull  the  wise  virgins  into  a  profound  sleep,  and  to 
propagate  among  them  that  friendship  of  the  world 
which  is  enmity  with  God.  This  is  true,  even 
though  these  unconverted  persons  remain  ortho- 
dox in  their  views,  and  maintain  a  decent  standing 
in  society  :  a  supposition  which,  in  most  cases,  is 
highly  improbable.  As  they  have  no  spiritual  light, 
they  may  be  expected  to  embrace  and  propagate 
erroneous  views  of  the  gospel,  and  thereby  lay  the 
foundation  for  those  schisms  and  controversies  which 
dishonor  the  cause  of  truth,  and  destroy  what  little 
before  existed  of  the  vitality  and  power  of  religion 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  65 

in  the  church.  Nor  is  this  all.  Ungodly  men  who 
make  a  profession  of  religion,  are  very  apt,  after  a 
time,  to  fall  into  the  practice  of  gross  vice.  They 
have  no  relish  for  that  pure  and  sublime  system  of 
morality  taught  by  our  Saviour  and  his  apostles. 
They  may,  indeed,  sometimes  pronounce  encomiums 
upon  it ;  and  so  did  the  infidel  and  licentious  Rousseau. 
But  they  are  attached,  firmly  attached,  to  the  max- 
ims and  customs  of  the  world  that  lies  in  wicked- 
ness. Hence,  in  process  of  time,  they  are  wont  to 
feel  the  restraints  which  Christianity  imposes,  as 
extremely  irksome,  and  eventually  to  shake  them 
off,  as  too  injurious  to  their  happiness  to  be  endured. 
The  result  is  that  they  become  vicious  and  profli- 
gate in  their  conduct ;  and  by  their  unholy  practices 
not  only  dishonor  the  religion  of  Christ  and  grieve 
the  hearts  of  his  true  disciples,  but  accelerate  the 
progress  of  the  unconverted  around  them  in  the 
road  to  death.  A  principal  reason  why  there  is  so 
httle  seriousness  in  persons  who  make  no  preten- 
sions to  piety  is,  that  many  who  belong  to  the  church 
demonstrate  by  their  unholy  lives,  that  the  sublime 
doctrines  and  precepts  of  the  gospel,  have  no  sanc- 
tifying influence  upon  them.  To  all  this  may  be 
added,  that  the  admission  of  unconverted  people  in- 
to the  church,  raises  an  almost  insurmountable  ob- 
stacle in  the  way  of  that  wholesome  discipline  which 
Christ  and  his  apostles  instituted,  and  without  which 


66  CAUSES    OP 

the  purest  temple  of  the  Hving  God,  must  soon  re- 
semble a  synagogue  of  Satan.  When  many  of  the 
members  of  a  church  are  destitute  of  piety  ;  or  when 
this  is  true  of  a  small  number  only,  provided  they 
be  persons  of  rank  and  influence,  discipline  will  either 
be  wholly  neglected,  or  will  be  administered  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  be  pernicious  rather  than  beneficial. 
It  will  be  characterized  by  a  supercilious,  harsh,  bit- 
ter, censorious  spirit,  and  by  that  unchristian  par- 
tiality which  is  of  itself  sufficient  to  ruin  the  peace 
and  prosperity  of  any  church. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Violent  Religious  Excitements. 

That  there  is  a  tendency  in  human  nature  to  in- 
dolence and  inactivity,  after  a  season  of  unusual  ex- 
citement, is  a  truth  universally  admitted.  This  im- 
perfection, for  such  it  unquestionably  is,  exists  in  our 
physical  and  intellectual  constitution,  and  also  in 
those  gracious  principles  which  the  Lord  has  im- 
planted in  the  hearts  of  his  people  by  the  holy  Spir- 
it.    These  principles,  it  is  true,  need  to  be  excited  ; 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  67 

and  when  the  excitement  is  not  too  violent,  its  ten- 
dency is  to  increase  their  strength.  But  when,  as 
sometimes  happens,  the  strength  of  these  principles 
is  much  inferior  to  that  of  the  stimulating  powers 
which  are  brought  to  bear  upon  them,  they  are  over- 
wrought, and  lose  the  healthful  and  vigorous  tone 
which  they  naturally  possess.  They  resemble  a 
bow  which  is  overstrained,  or  the  human  body  when 
greatly  fatigued,  by  too  severe  and  long-continued 
exercise.  And  while  gracious  principles  are  thus 
weakened,  the  principles  of  sin  existing  in  the  heart 
are  wont,  in  consequence  of  the  temporary  restraint 
put  upon  them,  to  become  more  powerful  and  im- 
petuous. They  resemble  the  current  of  a  brook  in- 
creased to  a  torrent  by  obstructions  thrown  in  its 
way.  The  truth  of  these  remarks  has  been  clearly 
demonstrated,  within  a  few  years  past,  by  numer- 
ous facts  in  relation  both  to  individuals  and  to 
churches.* 


*  The  practice  of  holding  protracted  meetings,  has,  of  late 
years,  become  very  common  in  our  country.  In  some  instances, 
these  meetings  have  been  continued  for  several  weeks  in  succes- 
sion with  no  intervals,  except  those  indispensable  for  taking  sus- 
tenance  and  sleep.  Meanwhile,  every  effort  has  been  made  by 
preachers  of  distinguished  talents  and  zeal,  to  excite  the  attention 
of  both  saints  and  sinners  to  the  momentous  subject  of  rehgion. 
The  eternal  joys  of  heaven,  and  the  eternal  miseries  of  heU,  have 
been  described  in  the  most  graphic  manner,  and  with  all  the  pa- 


68  CAUSES   OF 


CHAPTER  X. 

Prevalence  of  the  opinion  that  the  influence  of  reli- 
gious! principle  cannot  he  expected,  in  most  cases, 
to  he  steady  and  constant. 

Religion,  with  a  large  portion  of  professed  Chris- 
tians, is  in  a  great  measure  confined  to  places  of 
worship,  or  to  seasons  of  revival.  While  attending 
on  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  uniting  in  the 

thos  of  sacred  eloquence.  The  saint  has  been  made  to  feel  the 
greatness  of  his  own  guilt,  in  neglecting  to  labor  for  the  salvation 
of  sinners,  while  the  latter  have  been  so  assailed  with  prayers  and 
exhortations  and  warnings  from  every  quarter,  that  an  unnatural 
effervescence  of  their  passions  has  been  produced,  and  has  left 
them  scarce  any  possibility  of  obtaining  those  clear,  distinct,  and 
scriptural  views  of  the  perfections  of  God,  and  of  their  own  guilt 
as  transgressors  of  his  law,  so  essential  to  all  those  religious  im- 
pressions which  are  likely  to  be  permanent  and  saving.  It  is,  of 
course,  not  strange  that  after  such  a  season  of  excitement,  the 
minds  of  both  saints  and  sinners  should  pass  into  the  opposite  ex- 
treme, and  should,  for  a  time,  be  as  much  characterized  by  apathy, 
as  they  previously  were  by  zeal  and  fervor. 

"  Are  protracted  meetings,  then,  to  be  denounced  as  prejudicial 
to  the  cause  of  piety  ?"  By  no  means.  When  rightly  conducted, 
they  have  done  good ;  and,  when  thus  conducted,  they  are  Hkely 
to  do  good  hereafter.  The  writer  has  attended  several  of  these 
meetings,  which  received  his  decided  approbation.    But  they  were 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  69 

songs  and  supplications  of  Zion,  they  feel  condem- 
ned if  their  affections  are  not  excited,  and  if  emotions 
which  at  least  resemble  those  of  piety,  are  not  pro- 
duced. But  when  engaged  in  their  secular  affairs, 
they  feel  but  little  concern  to  have  their  hearts  re- 
plenished with  the  fear  and  love  of  God,  or  their 
minds  occupied  with  the  contemplation  of  the  great 
truths  of  religion.  Their  thoughts  are  generally  en- 
grossed with  secular  business — with  schemes  for 
amassing  wealth,  or  attaining  to  posts  of  honor, — 

characterized  by  a  solemn  stillness,  on  the  part  of  the  audience, 
and  by  a  steady  effort  on  that  of  officiating  ministers  to  make  sin- 
ners reahze  the  equity  of  God's  moral  government,  the  entire  rea- 
sonableness of  his  requirements,  and  the  baseness  and  criminahty 
involved  in  the  transgression  of  his  laws.  These  points,  together 
with  the  great  love  of  God  in  sending  his  Son  to  suffer  and  die  for 
sinners,  were  prominent  topics  of  discourse,  and  were  exhibited  in 
a  manner  adapted  to  enhst  the  understanding,  the  conscience,  and 
the  heart,  on  the  side  of  God  and  hohness.  There  was  at  these 
meetings  a  deep  interest  manifested  in  religious  exercises.  The 
sermons,  though  some  of  them  were  read,  were  listened  to  with 
that  profound  attention,  which  indicated  an  earnest  desire  to  hear 
and  obey  the  truth  ;  and  each  individual  present  seemed  to  feel 
that  eternity  with  all  its  dread  realities  was  at  the  door.  But  there 
were  no  convulsive  agonies,  no  interruptions  of  divine  worship  by 
the  exclamations  of  the  distressed,  and  no  violent  ebullition  of  the 
passions  in  any  form.  The  convictions  of  the  understanding  evi- 
dently took  the  lead,  and  the  rehgious  feelings  which  followed 
seemed  nothing  more  than  the  necessary  results  of  divine  truth  ap- 
plied to  the  conscience  and  the  heart  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

7 


70  CAUSES    OF 

or  with  contrivances  for  procuring  those  earthly 
pleasures  which  though  generally  considered  as  in- 
nocent and  creditable,  have  no  tendency  to  raise 
the  soul  to  God,  or  prepare  it  for  the  great  duties  of 
the  Christian  life.  If  you  introduce  the  subject  of 
religion  to  persons  of  this  description,  they  do  not, 
perhaps,  refuse  to  converse  upon  it ;  especially,  if 
you  manifest  a  willingness  to  discourse  in  a  specu- 
lative way.  But  if  you  press  on  their  attention  the 
importance  of  a  holy  life — of  a  daily  and  hourly  con- 
secration of  the  heart  to  God,  of  having  a  regard  to 
his  glory  in  all  they  do,  of  living  as  strangers  and 
pilgrims  on  the  earth,  and  of  directing  all  their  aims 
and  exertions  to  things  beyond  the  grave — they  are 
usually  silent,  or  barely  assent  to  the  truth  of  what 
you  say.  They  manifest  no  disposition  to  prolong 
discourse  of  this  kind.  It  is  a  strain  of  conversa- 
tion in  which  they  feel  no  interest.  But  the  mo- 
ment you  introduce  some  worldly  subject,  they  are 
sufficiently  ready  to  perform  their  part  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  it.  They  now  speak  with  interest  and 
earnestness,  as  from  the  fulness  of  their  hearts,  and 
seem  never  tired  while  topics  of  this  kind  are  the 
subjects  of  discourse.  In  this  manner  they  pass 
along  from  month  to  month,  and  from  year  to  year, 
thinking  and  speaking  almost  exclusively  of  earthly 
things  ;  except  when  the  stated  seasons  of  public 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  71 

worship  call  up  their  attention  to  subjects  of  a  dif- 
ferent kind.  And  they  do  not  seem  to  realize  that 
the  predominance  of  this  worldly  spirit  is,  in  any 
considerable  degree,  offensive  to  God,  or  prejudicial 
to  themselves.  At  any  rate,  they  do  not  appear  to 
entertain  any  just  conception  of  the  great  blemish 
which  the  habitual  indulgence  of  such  a  spirit  fixes 
on  their  Christian  character,  or  the  immense  injury 
done  to  their  own  souls  by  suffering  the  world  to 
engross  so  large  a  portion  of  their  time  and  thoughts. 
Persons,  however,  of  the  above  description  are 
not  satisfied  with  being  always  in  this  condition. 
They  imagine  that  a  real  Christian  must  sometimes 
live  in  a  manner  more  spiritual  and  more  devoted  to 
God.  He  must,  they  suppose,  have  his  seasons  of 
revival,  in  which  for  days,  and  weeks,  and  months, 
religion  is  uppermost  in  his  thoughts,  and  in  which 
he  is  almost  exclusively  employed,  either  in  devo- 
tional exercises,  or  in  conversation  on  divine  sub- 
jects. And  such  seasons  these  persons  actually  have. 
Once  in  ten  or  twelve  years,  perhaps  oftener,  a  re- 
vival is  enjoyed  in  the  place  w^here  they  reside.  Re- 
ligious meeting^  are  frequent  and  well  attended. 
The  spirit  of  piety  which  had  long  slumbered,  seems 
to  awake,  and  the  church  hears  the  voice  of  her  God 
and  Saviour,  saying,  "  Arise,  shine  ;  for  thy  light  is 
come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee  ;" 
and  many  who  were  previously  dead  in  trespasses 


72  CAUSES    OF 

and  sins,  are  blessed  with  spiritual  life,  and  begin  to 
sing  the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb.  At  such  a 
time  the  professors  of  religion  whose  characters  we 
are  delineating,  are  generally  aroused,  confess  that 
they  have  been  long  in  a  cold,  backslidden  state,  and 
express  a  determination  to  shake  off  their  guilty 
slumbers,  and  live  more  devoted  to  Christ  than  they 
have  hitherto  done.  They  accordingly  attend  re- 
ligious meetings  almost  every  day  in  the  week ;  and 
when  at  meeting,  seem  full  of  pious  fervor ;  they 
pray  and  exhort  in  a  very  earnest  manner ;  and 
seem  determined  to  make  amends  for  the  many 
years  of  sloth  and  negligence  which  had  previously 
passed  over  them.  At  these  seasons,  besides,  their 
conversation  is  generally  on  religious  subjects ;  and 
if  they  meet  with  any  professor  of  religion  who  is 
not  as  warm  and  lively  as  themselves,  they  are  al- 
most ready  to  blot  him  out  of  their  list  of  pious  peo- 
ple, and  can  hardly  think  that  he  ever  knew  the  grace 
of  God  in  truth.  In  this  manner  they  proceed  till 
the  revival  begins  to  abate,  and  the  external  excite- 
ments to  devotion  and  fervor  are  somewhat  dimin- 
ished, when  they  rapidly  decline,  and  soon  return  to 
the  state  from  which  they  emerged  when  the  revi- 
val commenced.  In  a  few  months,  perhaps  in  a  few 
weeks,  they  are  as  much  engrossed  with  the  world, 
as  neglectful  of  religious  meetings,  and,  to  all  ap- 
pearance as  destitute  of  the  spirit  of  religion,  as  they 


RELtOIOUS    D*:ClIlNSlON.  73 

ever  Veere.  And  so  they  continue  some  ten  or 
twelve  years,  till  another  revival  overtakes  them, 
when  they  are  again  aroused,  again  confess  their 
faults,  and,  indeed,  act  over  almost  exactly  the  same 
part  which  they  acted  ten  or  twelve  years  before. 
And  such  changes,  they  seem  to  imagine,  are  things 
of  course.  They  can  hardly  conceive  the  possibili- 
ty of  a  constant  and  steady  walk  with  God.  And 
though  they  condemn  themselves  as  somewhat 
blameable,  for  their  backslidings,  they  seem  to  sup- 
pose that  there  is  a  kind  of  fatality  in  the  case  ; 
that  a  steady  and  uniform  course  of  piety  is  not  to 
be  expected ;  and  that  the  genuineness  of  their  re- 
ligion, and  the  safety  of  their  state  ought  not  to  be 
called  in  question,  on  account  of  these  blemishes  in 
their  christian  character. 

In  making  these  remarks,  the  writer  is  anxious 
that  he  may  not  be  misunderstood.  He  does  not 
mean  to  say,  that  the  above  picture  will  suit  every 
professor  of  religion  in  our  country.  No  ;  he  be- 
lieves there  are  thousands  of  different  denomina- 
tions who  maintain  from  year  to  year  a  close  and 
humble  walk  with  God — thousands  who  are  not 
merely  constant  in  the  external  performance  of  mo- 
ral and  religions  duties,  but  manifest  a  strong  at- 
tachment to  the  cause  of  truth,  and  an  unwavering 
determination  to  be  for  Christ  and  for  none  else. 
Yes,  he  believes  that  there  are  thousands  in  this  land, 
7* 


74  CAUSES    OF 

who  feel  that  religion  ought  to  be  the  main  business 
of  every  day,  and  who  steadily  endeavor  to  live  to 
the  glory  of  God,  in  seasons  of  declension,  as  well 
as  in  seasons  of  revival.  But,  unless  he  is  greatly 
mistaken,  the  picture  above  drawn  will  suit  a  very 
large  portion  of  the  Christian  community.  Their 
religion  begins  and  ends,  in  a  great  measure,  with 
the  revivals  which  take  place  around  them.  When 
there  is  no  special  attention  paid  to  the  things  of  God 
in  the  place  where  they  reside,  they  very  much  re- 
semble the  men  of  the  world,  both  in  spirit  and  con- 
duct. They  can  hardly  be  said  to  maintain  the 
form  of  godliness  ;  and  as  to  its  power,  scarce  any 
thing  of  this  can  be  seen  in  them  for  years  in  suc- 
cession. Indeed,  if  these  persons  are  Christians, 
(and  it  is  believed  that  some  of  them  are,)  they  can 
hardly  be  distinguished,  a  large  portion  of  the  time, 
from  many  who  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins. 
And,  as  already  intimated,  they  seem  to  imagine  that 
it  must  he  so ;  that  a  constant,  steady,  uniform  walk 
with  God,  is  not  to  be  expended  in  the  great  body 
of  professed  Christians.  Now  this  is  evidently  a 
mistake,  and  a  mistake  of  most  pernicious  influence. 
It  tends  much  to  diminish  the  efforts  which  Chris- 
tians are  bound  to  make  for  preserving  and  increas- 
ing in  their  own  hearts,  and  in  the  hearts  of  their 
brethren,  the  spirit  of  piety,  and  for  preventing  those 
long-continued  spiritual  decays,  so  injurious  to  them- 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  75 

selves  and  the  cause  of  Christ.  As  long  as  they 
imagine  it  is  impossible,  or  nearly  so,  for  a  Chris- 
tian to  be  uniformly  devoted  to  God,  they  are  very 
likely  to  yield  to  the  current  of  worldly  influence 
which  sets  against  them,  and,  of  course,  to  do  but 
little  for  promoting  their  own  salvation,  or  that  of 
others. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Perversion  of  the  Doctrine  of  Grace. 

The  doctrine  which  asserts  that  the  salvation  of 
a  sinner  is  altogether  of  the  grace  of  God,  is  a  most 
glorious  truth — a  truth  which  lies  at  the  foundation 
of  the  Christian  scheme,  and  which,  if  rightly  under- 
stood, is  admirably  adapted,  not  only  to  afford  con- 
solation to  the  renewed  heart,  but  to  subdue  the 
power  of  sin,  and  make  men  holy  in  all  manner  of 
conversation.  But  this  great  and  precious  doctrine, 
hke  every  other  good  thing,  is  liable  to  be  abused ; 
and  it  is  abused  by  multitudes  of  professed  Chris- 
tians at  the  present  day ;  nay,  by  many  who,  in  a 
judgment  of  charity,  are  Christians  in  deed  and  in 


76  CAUSES    OF 

truth.  They  seem  to  draw  from  the  doctrine  the 
conclusion  that  it  is  unnecessary  for  them  to  make 
any  vigorous  efforts  for  their  own  salvation  or  that 
of  others.  Feeling  assured  that,  v^^herever  God  be- 
gins a  good  v^ork,  he  will  carry  it  on,  and  that  he  is 
working  in  them  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  own 
good  pleasure,  they  seem  not  to  realize  the  neces- 
sity imposed  on  them  of  working  out  their  own 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling.  They  appear 
to  entertain  the  idea,  that,  if  they  do  any  thing  more 
than  look  on,  and  admire  and  adore  the  grace  of 
God,  a  part  of  the  glory  of  their  salvation  must  be 
due  to  themselves,  and,  consequently,  that  the  whole 
glory  will  not  be  due  to  God.  But  such  views  are 
not  authorized  by  the  Bible,  or  by  the  analogy  of  na- 
ture. In  the  Bible  we  meet  with  many  exhortations 
to  vigorous  and  persevering  efforts  for  advancing 
the  influence  of  piety  in  our  souls.  We  find  this 
holy  book  urging  Christians  to  "  mortify  their  mem- 
bers which  are  on  the  earth" — to  "  crucify  the  flesh 
with  its  affections  and  lusts" — to  "  put  off  the  old 
man  which  is  corrupt,  and  to  put  on  the  new  man 
which  after  God  is  created  in  righteousness  and  true 
holiness."  Nay,  it  exhorts  us  to  "  cleanse  ourselves 
from  all  filthiness  of  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  ho- 
liness in  the  fear  of  God."  It  represents  the  Chris- 
tian life  as  a  pilgrimage,  a  race,  a  warfare ;  all  of 
which  similitudes  convey  the  idea  that  it  is  not  a  life 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  77 

of  idleness  and  ease,  but  of  laborious  exertion ;  and 
it  promises  eternal  life  on  no  other  condition  than 
that  of  being  "  faithful  unto  death,"  and  overcoming 
the  numerous  and  formidable  obstacles  which  lie  in 
our  way.  It  teaches  us  the  same  great  truth  by  ex- 
hibiting the  example  of  eminent  saints.  Thus  it 
represents  Paul  as  saying,  "  Brethren,  I  count  not 
myself  to  have  apprehended ;  but  this  one  thing  I 
do  ;  forgetting  the  things  that  are  behind,  and  reach- 
ing forth  to  those  things  which  are  before,  I  press 
toward  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling 
of  God  in  Christ  Jesus."  St.  Paul  felt  that  he  must 
exert  himself  to  the  utmost,  if  he  would  obtain  the 
blessedness  of  heaven.  And  he  does  not  seem  to 
have  even  surmised,  that  there  was  any  inconsist- 
ency between  the  necessity  of  his  own  exertions  in 
this  great  affair,  and  the  doctrine  that  "  eternal  life  is 
the  gift  of  God,  through  Jesus  Christ." 

And  these  views  derived  from  the  infallible  word 
of  God,  are  in  perfect  accordance  with  the  analo- 
gy of  nature.  It  is  a  certain  truth  that  the  tempo- 
ral blessings  which  we  enjoy  all  come  from  the  hand 
of  God,  and  are  to  be  acknowledged  as  the  fruits 
of  his  bounty.  The  husbandman  is  indebted  to  God 
for  the  soil  he  cultivates,  for  the  manure  by  which 
it  is  enriched,  for  the  genial  influences  of  the  sun, 
and  for  the  fructifying  showers  of  rain  with  which 
he  is  ordinarily  blessed.      He  is  indebted  to  God, 


78  CAUSES    OF 

too,  for  all  the  skill  and  strength  which  he  possesses, 
and  for  the  disposition  he  has  to  labor  for  his  own 
subsistence.     His  being   provided,  therefore,  with 
the  necessaries  and  comforts  of  life,  ought  to  be  as- 
cribed to  the   goodness  of  God.     Still,  what  hus- 
bandman supposes  it  is  of  no  importance  for  him  to 
cultivate  his  farm  ?     He  does  not  say,  "  It  is  all  of 
God,  and  therefore  I  will  do   nothing."     No ;    as 
soon  as  the  Spring  opens,  he  repairs  his  fences, 
ploughs  and  manures  his  grounds,  and  sows  his 
seed.     Nor  does  he  on  any  other  condition  expect 
a  crop.     He  knows  that  he  must  sow  in  tears,  if  he 
would  reap  in  joy.      And  when  he   pursues  this 
course,  he  usually  obtains  the  object  of  his  wishes. 
The  summer  is  fruitful,  and  the  harvest  plenteous. 
Now,  the  same  holds  in  regard  to  our  spiritual  con- 
cerns.    Our  salvation  is  all  of  God's  grace.     This 
is  a  truth  most  cheerfully  admitted.     But  it  is  a  truth 
equally  plain  and  certain,  that  the  grace  of  God  does 
not  supersede  the  necessity  of  human  efforts.     The 
soul  of  each  Christian  may  be  called  his  garden. 
This  garden  must  be  ploughed.     The  fallow  ground 
must  be  broken  up,  and  good  seed,  even  the  word 
of  God  must  be  sown  in  it.      And  when  the  seed 
springs  up  and  grows,  care  must  be  taken  to  prevent 
the  noxious  weeds  of  error  and  sin  from   raising 
their  heads,  and  choking  the  plants  of  righteousness 
which  are  growing  there.     Now  what  man  thinks 


RELIGIOUS     DECLENSION.  79 

of  leaving  it  to  God  to  pull  up  the  weeds  in  his  gar- 
den, or  to  cultivate  the  valuable  plants  whioh  are 
growing  in  it  ?     He  expects  rain  and  sun-shine  from 
God,  and  the  strength  and  skill  which  he   needs  in 
the  management   of  his  business.      But  he  never 
thinks  of  excusing  himself  from  his  rustic  labors, 
from  a  persuasion  that  God  either  can,  or  will,  do  all 
without  him.     And  if  he  did,  you  know  what  the 
consequence  must  be.     His  lands,  untilled  and  neg- 
lected, would  resemble   those  described  by  Solo- 
mon. "  I  went,"  says  he,  "  by  the  field  of  the  slothful, 
and  by  the  vineyard  of  the  man  void  of  understand- 
ing.    And  lo,  it  was  all  grown  over  with  thorns,  and 
nettles  had  covered  the  face  thereof,  and  the  stone 
wall  thereof  was  broken  down."     So  it  is  with  the 
heart  .  f  many  a  professor  of  religion.    It  but  too 
much  resembles  the  field  of  the  slothful.  The  thorns 
and  nettles  of  unholy  affections  and  imaginations  are 
growing  in  rank  luxuriance.  And  if  you  look  for  the 
plants  of  righteousness,  you  look  almost  in  vain.  Here 
and  there,  perhaps,  may  be  seen  a  single  stalk  of  pre- 
cious grain,  slender,  and  of  sickly  appearance,  and 
almost  choked  by  the  thorns  and  nettles  which  are 
spreading  themselves  around  it.     At  the  same  time 
that  holy  watchfulness  which,  hke  a  hedge  or  wall, 
once  defended  the  heart  against  the  intrusion  of  eve- 
ry enemy,  can  hardly  be  said  to  exist.      Nor   does 
there  seem  to  be  any  thing  to  prevent  the  Christian's 


80  CAUSES    OF 

foes  from  entering  and  treading  down  this  garden  of 
the  Lord.    If  they  do  not,  it  is  owing  to  the  special 
interposition  of  his   mercy  and  power.     And  let 
it  not  be  forgotten  that  this  deplorable  state  of  the 
Christian's  heart  is  owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to  a 
perversion  of  the  doctrine  of  grace.     It  must  be 
owing  to  a  perversion  of  that  glorious  doctrine. 
The  rich  and  sovereign  grace  revealed  in  the  gos- 
pel was  doubtless  intended,  not  to  supersede,  but  to 
aid  and  strengthen  our  efforts  in  the  cause  of  truth. 
I  will  not  indeed  say,  that  if  it  had  this  effect  on  the 
Christian  professor,  his  heart  would  be  always  in 
an  equally  good  state.     There  might  possibly,  even 
then,  be  seasons  of  spiritual  drought — seasons  just 
long  enough  to  make  him  feel  that  all  his  sufficiency 
was  of  God.     But  his  heart  would  still  be  well  re- 
plenished with  the  seeds  of  truth  and  the  plants  of 
righteousness.     The  noxious  weeds  of  error  and  sin 
would  be  rooted  out,  as  fast  as  they  showed  them- 
selves ;  and  the  heart  would  resemble  a  well  fenced 
and  well  cultivated  garden  which   needed  nothing 
but  a  plentiful  shower  and  the  benign  influences  of 
the  sun  to  render  it  all  which  its  owner  could  de- 
sire.    It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add,  that  what  has 
been  said  of  individual  Christians,  is  true  of  churches. 
One  great  reason  why  they  are,  frequently,  in  such  a 
feeble,  barren,  disordered   state,  is,  that  they  have 
perverted  the  doctrine  of  grace  by  a  slothful  neglect 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  81 

of  the  means  which  God  has  appointed  for  promo- 
ting their  order,  strength,  and  fruitfulness. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  manner  in  which  Christian  Ministers  often 
spend  their  time  when  out  of  the  Pulpit. 

It  is  not  intended  at  present  to  animadvert  on  the 
worst  cases  of  the  kind  alluded  to  at  the  head  of  this 
chapter.  No  remarks  will  be  made  on  instances  in 
which  a  preacher  has  been  chargeable  with  frivolity, 
and  dissipation,  and  gross  vice  ;  nor  in  which,  with- 
out necessity,  he  has  devoted  nearly  all  his  time, 
except  on  the  Sabbath,  to  secular  business  ;  nor  to 
instances  in  which  he  has  entered  so  deeply  into  po- 
litical discussions,  as  to  leave  him  neither  leisure 
nor  incHnation  for  the  duties  of  his  profession.  No/ 
finally,  will  any  thing  be  said,  particularly,  in  relation 
to  instances  in  which  several  clergymen  have  form- 
ed a  kind  of  spiritual  junto,  or  aristocracy,  for  the 
purpose  of  raising  themselves  above  their  brethren^ 
and  securing  for  their  own  benefit,  or  that  of  their 
friends,  the  most  honorable  and  lucrative  of  those 
places  to  which  the  ministers  of  Christ  are  permit- 
8 


$2  CAUSES    OP 

ted  to  aspire.  In  all  cases  of  this  kind,  it  must  be 
obvious  to  the  dullest  understanding,  that  the  preach- 
er's heart  is  not  in  his  work,  and  that,  of  course,  he 
cannot  be  expected  to  prosper  in  it.  No;  the 
Christian  minister  is  supposed  to  be  chargeable  with 
none  of  these  things.  He  is  supposed  to  pay  very- 
little  attention  to  secular  pursuits  of  any  kind,  and 
to  be  a  modest,  retiring,  unostentatious  man,  who  is 
willing  to  occupy  a  low  place  among  his  brethren. 
It  is  admitted,  besides,  that  he  devotes  a  suitable 
portion  of  his  time  to  pastoral  visits ;  that  in  visit- 
ing his  people,  he  maintains  a  serious,  dignified  de- 
portment ;  and  that  his  intercourse  with  them  is  uni- 
formly characterized  by  kindness  of  feeling  and  sua- 
vity of  manners.  Nay,  more ;  it  is  admitted  that  he' 
converses  principally  on  moral  and  rehgious  sub* 
jects,  and  that  his  discourse  is  uncommonly  instruct- 
ive and  interesting.  Still,  there  may  be  a  lamenta- 
ble defect  in  his  manner  of  conducting  pastoral 
visits.  His  conversation,  after  all,  may  have  little 
or  no  tendency  to  promote  the  vitality  and  power 
of  religion  among  the  members  of  his  church,  or  to 
arouse  his  unconverted  hearers  to  a  serious  and 
earnest  attention  to  their  immortal  interests ;  nay, 
it  may  have  a  contrary  tendency. 

Let  us  suppose  that,  in  conversing  with  the  mem- 
bers of  his  church,  he  seldom  urges  with  becoming 
solemnity  and  earnestness  the  importance  of  a  holy 


IIELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  83 

life,  of  setting  the  affections  on  things  above,  of  liv- 
ing as  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth,  and  of 
a  daily  consecration  of  the  heart  to  God ;  that  he 
seldom  endeavors  to  impress  on  their  minds  the  ob- 
ligation they  are  under  to  hold  all  they  have  as  sa- 
credly devoted  to  the  cause  of  Christ ;  that  he  sel- 
dom questions  them  closely  on  the  state  of  their 
souls,  or  reproves  them  in  a  tender  and  solemn  man- 
ner v^hen  they  go  astray ;  that  he  says  but  little  re- 
specting the  love  of  God,  the  preciousness  of  Christ, 
or  the  glory  of  heaven ;  but  spends  his  visits  prin- 
cipally in  detailing  the  statistics  of  protracted  meet- 
ings and  revivals  at  home,  or  of  missionary  opera- 
tions abroad ;  or  in  giving  an  account  of  the  meet- 
ings of  the  various  benevolent  societies  with  which 
he  is  acquainted, — the  efforts  made,  the  agents  em- 
ployed, the  opposition  encountered,  and  the  sums 

raised  by  these  associations There  may 

be  nothing  positively  wrong  in  his  manner  of  con- 
ducting pastoral  visits.  Nay,  the  various  topics  on 
which  he  discourses  may  very  properly  be  intro- 
duced ;  they  are  all  interesting  and  important,  and 
ought  to  occupy  a  portion  of  every  preacher's  time, 
when  he  is  conversing  with  his  people.  But  his 
dwelling  on  them  to  the  almost  entire  exclusion  of 
other,  and  still  more  important  topics,  is  an  evil 
which  can  hardly  fail  of  rendering  his  labors  in  pri- 
vate, on  the  whole,  useless,  if  not  positively  injuri- 


84  CAUSES    OP 

ous.  Such  visits  are  not  adapted  to  inspire  his  breth- 
ren with  ardent  aspirations  after  eminence  in  ho- 
Hness  ;  but  rather  to  make  them  satisfied  with  a  life 
of  religious  dissipation,  in  which  the  hurry,  and  bus- 
tle, and  parade  of  meetings,  speeches,  and  collec- 
tions are  substituted  for  that  daily  and  hourly  inter- 
course of  the  soul  with  its  God,  in  which  the  life  and 
power  of  real  piety  so  much  consists.* 

In  his  private  intercourse  with  the  unconverted 
part  of  his  congregation,  let  us  suppose,  that,  though 
he  is  grave  and  serious,  he  manifests  no  deep  sense 
of  their  lost  and  perishing  condition,  their  exposure 
to  the  just  displeasure  of  God,  and  their  danger  ev- 
ery moment  of  sinking  into  endless  misery ;  that, 
instead  of  this,  his  deportment  and  conversation  na- 

*  The  writer  hopes  his  Christian  brethren  will  not  misunder- 
stand him.     He  assures  them  that  he  is  no  enemy  to  the  pious  and 
benevolent  operations  of  the  day.   He  rejoices  that  so  much  is  done 
and  Ukely  to  be  done,  for  sending  the  gospel  to   the  heathen,  for 
disseminating  the  Scriptures  and  weU  written  Tracts,  and  for  assist- 
ing in  their  preparatory  studies  such  pious  but  indigent  young  men 
as  God  has  called  to  the  ministry  of  his  word.     He  rejoices,  too,  in 
the  efforts  made  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and  of  moral  re- 
form ;  nay,  in  the  whole  system  of  measures  adapted  to  meUorate 
the  condition  of  the  human  race.     What  he  objects  to  is  the  dis- 
proportionate  regard  which,  in  many  instances,  is  paid  to  these 
objects — a  regard  which  leaves  scarce  any  time  for  secret  prayer, 
for  searching  the  heart,  for  studying  the  Bible,  or  for  conversation 
with  either  saints  or  sinners  on  those  momentous  subjects  with 
which  the  salvation  of  the  soul  is  so  intimately  connected. 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  85 

turally  lead  them  to  suppose,  that  he  considers  them 
in  a  pardoned  and  justified  state  ;  or,  if  not,  that,  in 
his  opinion,  there  is  no  necessity  for  any  deep  con- 
cern, or  any  vigorous  efforts  on  their  part  to  obtain 
an  interest  in  Christ.  Is  it  difficult  to  determine 
what  must  be  the  natural  tendency  of  his  visits  ? 
Can  they  fail  to  operate  as  sedatives  to  any  feelingf? 
of  concern  and  anxiety  which  may  have  been  pre- 
viously excited  ?  And  yet,  alas  !  how  many  such 
visits  have  been  made  by  thousands  of  clergymen 
of  the  most  respectable  standing  !  How  common 
it  is  for  a  preacher  to  converse  with  sinners  in  a 
general  ivaij,  without  even  a  serious  endeavor  to 
bring  such  truths  as  are  specially  suited  to  their  c^se 
to  bear  upon  the  conscience  and  the  heart !  In  our 
pastoral  visits,  we  ought,  if  possible,  io^clench  the 
nail  which  we  had  driven  in  our  public  discourses  ; 
instead  of  which,  how  often  do  we  loosen  it ;  nay, 
draw  it  quite  out  of  the  sinner's  heart !  Oh  how  impor- 
tant it  is  that  the  Christian  pastor  adopt  a  diflerent 
course  without  delay  !  How  important  that  while 
making  his  parochial  visits,  he  feel  such  a  sense  of  the 
worth  of  souls,  and  such  a  deep  concern  for  the  con- 
version of  his  impenitent  hearers,  as  shall  constrain 
him  to  address  them  in  the  most  serious,  affection- 
ate, and  impressive  manner ;  and  to  follow  the  prac- 
tice from  week  to  week,  and  from  month  to  month  ! 
It  is  not,  indeed,  asserted,  that  the  pastor  of  a  church 
9 


86  CAUSES    OF 

should  never  converse  with  his  unconverted  hearers 
on  any  but  religious  subjects.  Other  subjects  may, 
and  must  be  frequently  introduced.  But  unless  the 
design  of  their  introduction  be  the  transaction  of  ne- 
cessary wordly  business,  the  discussion  of  them 
should  invariably  be  so  managed,  as  to  prepare  the 
way  for  subjects  which  have  an  immediate  connec- 
tion with  the  soul,  and  its  immortal  interests.  If 
any  Christian  reader  should  think  the  course  here 
recommended  too  strict  and  puritanical,  it  seems 
sufficient  to  remark,  that  such  was  evidently  the 
course  pursued  by  our  Saviour  and  his  apostles; 
nay,  that  such  is  the  course  pursued  at  present  by 
all  the  true  ministers  of  Christ  in  seasons  of  revi- 
val 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

Prevalence  of  the  opinion  that  on  the  pastor  of  a 
church  is  devolved  the  whole  work  of  promoting 
the  interests  of  religion  in  the  place  where  he 
resides. 

Some  religious  people  have  imagined  that  the  lay 
members  of  a  church  were  authorized  and  required 
to  perform  nearly  all  the  duties  of  a  pastor ;  and, 
of  course,  that  the  latter,  except,  perhaps,  in  the  ad- 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  W 

ministration  of  special  ordinances,  had  little  more 
to  do  than  the  other  members  of  his  church.  This 
is,  undoubtedly,  a  great  mistake,  and  productive, 
wherever  it  prevails,  of  great  mischief  to  the  church 
of  Christ.  The  pastor  should,  unquestionably,  hold  a 
very  prominent  place  among  his  brethren.  He  has 
in  a  most  emphatic  sense  the  supervision  of  the 
branch  of  Zion  with  which  he  is  connected.  It  is 
his  duty,  especially,  to  preach  "  the  glorious  gospel 
of  the  blessed  God,"  to  divide  aright  the  word  of 
truth,  and  to  watch  for  souls  as  one  who  must  give 
account.  Indeed,  the  charge  committed  to  him 
is  one  of  the  most  sacred  and  awful  which  can  be 
conceived,  and  requires  that,  in  ordinary  cases,  his 
whole  time  and  strength  be  devoted  to  it.  It  fol- 
lows, of  course,  that  a  want  of  faithfulness  on  his 
part  is  peculiarly  criminal,  and  must,  unless  he  re- 
pent, expose  him  to  the  most  fearful  tokens  of  the 
divine  displeasure.  Still,  a  great  deal  ought  to  be 
done  by  the  members  of  his  church  and  congrega- 
tion towards  promoting  the  interests  of  religion 
among  them.  They  are  bound  in  the  first  place — 
unless  their  poverty  absolutely  forbids — to  give  him 
such  a  temporal  support  as  shall  enable  him,  not  in- 
deed to  accumulate  a  fortune,  or  to  Hve  in  luxury 
and  splendor,  but  to  procure  for  himself  and  those 
dependent  on  him,  the  necessaries  and  comforts  of 
life  ;  and,  without  paying  much  attention  to  worldly 


88  CAUSES    OF 

business,  to  make  some  decent  provision  for  the 
exigencies  of  sickness  and  old  age.  A  neglect  on 
the  part  of  his  church  to  do  this,  is  a  great  evil,  as 
it  must  prevent  his  enriching  his  mind  with  spirit- 
ual know^Iedge,  and  preparing  himself  in  a  suitable 
manner  for  the  services  of  the  sanctuary.  He  can- 
not, therefore,  supply  the  golden  candlestick  w^ith 
beaten  oil,  or  come  to  his  people  in  the  fulness  of 
the  blessing  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  or  commend 
himself  to  their  approbation  as  a  scribe  v^ell  instruct- 
ed in  the  kingdom  of  God,  who,  like  a  faithful  house- 
holder, brings  forth  out  of  his  treasures  things  new 
and  old.  And  can  it  be  wondered  at,  if  the  mem- 
bers of  such  a  church  do  not  grow  in  grace,  or  in 
spiritual  knowledge  ?  The  necessity  which  they 
impose  on  their  pastor  of  devoting  himself  to  secu- 
lar business,  renders  his  sermons  comparatively 
poor,  destitute  of  that  variety,  and  of  those  soul-en- 
riching exhibitions  of  divine  truth  which  ought  to 
characterize  the  preaching  of  a  Christian  pastor. 
Nor  can  it  be  expected  that,  after  being  immersed 
in  the  business  of  the  world  from  Monday  morning 
till  Saturday  night,  the  tone  of  his  mind  will  be  as 
spiritual  and  devout  as  it  would  have  been  had  he 
been  employed,  during  the  week,  in  studying  his 
Bible  and  discharging  the  other  duties  of  his  sacred 
calling.  It  cannot  be  expected  that,  either  in  preach- 
ing or  praying,  he  will'  manifest  that  spirituality, 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  89 

solemnity,  and  fervor,  so  important  to  the  minister 
of  Christ,  and  so  admirably  adapted  to  promote  the 
power  of  godliness  among  his  people.  Nor  is  this 
all.  If  the  neglect  of  his  people  to  supply  his  tem- 
poral wants,  subjects  him  to  the  necessity  of  devot- 
ing most  of  his  time  to  secular  business,  he  cannot 
have  much  leisure  for  parochial  visits,  which,  if 
rightly  conducted,  contribute  greatly  to  a  pastor's 
usefulness.  While,  therefore,  his  people,  by  with- 
holding from  him  a  temporal  support,  render  nis 
pastoral  visits  few,  they  are  taking  a  course  which 
tends  directly  to  impoverish  their  own  souls,  and 
spread  darkness,  and  disunion,  and  spiritual  barren- 
ness over  the  heritage  of  God. 

But  there  is  more  to  be  said  on  this  subject. 
Withholding  a  temporal  support  from  their  pastor, 
is  not  the  only  particular  in  which  the  members  of 
a  church  may  fail  of  doing  their  duty.  There  ought 
to  be  on  their  part  a  general,  constant,  and  vigor- 
ous co-operation  with  their  pastor  in  his  efforts  to 
promote  the  interests  of  religion  among  them. 
While  he,  by  his  preaching  and  pastoral  visits,  is 
assiduously  laboring  for  the  good  of  their  souls,  it 
is  very  important  that  they  assist  him  in  these  la- 
bors of  love  by  a  punctual  attendance  on  religious 
meetings,  by  taking  an  active  part  in  such  meetings 
on  proper  occasions,  by  conversing  much  onQ  with 

9* 


90  CAUSES    OF 

another  on  divine  subjects,  by  taking  and  reading 
those  periodicals  which  are  adapted  to  promote  the 
spirit  and  power  of  true  religion  among  them,  by 
encouraging  the  Sunday  School  and  the  Bible  Class, 
by  contributing  according  to  their  ability  in  aid  of 
the  pious  and  benevolent  operations  of  the  day,  by 
leading  holy  and  blameless  lives,  by  conversing  with 
the   unconverted  of  their  respective  families   and 
neighborhoods,  in  a  tender  and  serious  manner  on 
the  state  of  their  souls,  by  rallying  round  their  pastor 
and  sustaining  him  against   the  rude  attacks  which 
he  sometimes  experiences  from  the  enemies  of  the 
cross,  and  by  daily  offering  up  to  God  in  his  behalf 
that  effectual  fervent  prayer  which  availeth  much. 
By  doing  these  things,  they  would  not  only  encour- 
age his  heart  and  strengthen  his  hands  in  the  great 
work  to  which  he  is  devoted,  and  thereby  enable 
him  to  do   more,  much  more,  than  he   otherwise 
could,  but  would  do  much  directly  them  selves  to- 
ward sustaining  and  advancing  the  cause  of  reli- 
gion among  them.     Those  very  exercises  in  which 
we  have  supposed  them  to  be  engaged  would  con- 
tribute much  to  foster  the  spirit  and  power  of  god- 
liness in  their  own  hearts.     While   thus  co-opera- 
ting with  their  pastor  in  doing  good,  their  souls 
would  be  as  a  watered  garden ;   the  graces  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  implanted  in  them,  would  be  in  a  vigor- 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSIOxN.  91 

ous  and  healthful  state,  and  the  spirit  of  union  and 
Christian  love  would  be  diffused  through  the  whole 
church.  Nor  is  it  difficult  to  perceive  what  must 
be  the  effect  of  these  things  on  such  members  of  the 
congregation  as  are  out  of  Christ.  The  church,  oc- 
cupying such  high  and  holy  ground,  must  in  connec- 
tion with  her  pastor,  exert  a  mighty  and  a  most 
salutary  influence  on  the  unconverted.  The  latter 
could  hardly  slumber  securely  in  sin  while  assailed 
from  every  quarter  by  such  powerful  excitements 
to  diligence  and  ardor  in  seeking  the  salvation  of 
their  souls.  No,  a  principal  reason  why  the  uncon- 
verted are  so  easy,  is  that  we  who  profess  religion 
are  so  easy.  Did  we  constantly  manifest  a  deep 
sense  of  their  guilt  and  dang'^r,  and  an  earnest  so- 
licitude for  their  salvation,  they  would  soon  be 
aroused  ;  and,  with  the  3000  convicted  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  would  say  "  Men  and  brethren  what 
must  we  do  ?"  Were  the  members  of  the  church 
thus  spiritual  and  faithful,  the  preached  gospel 
would  not  be  that  inefficient,  powerless  thing  which 
it  now  too  often  proves.  The  great  truths  of  the 
Bible,  exhibited  by  the  faithful  minister,  would  ap- 
prove themselves  to  the  consciences  of  his  hearers 
generally,  and  would  "  be  mighty  through  God  to 
the  pulling  down  of  strong  holds."  Sinners  would 
be  awakened,  and  converts   multiplied ;    and  the 


92  CAUSES    OF 

church  would  "  look  forth  as  the  morning,  fair  as  the 
moon,  clear  as  the  sun,  and  terrible  as  an  army 
with  banners." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Manner  in  which  Christians  frequently  treat  the 
Holy  Spirit, 

It  is  the  exhortation  of  an  inspired  apostle,  "  And 
grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  by  which  ye  are 
sealed  to  the  day  of  redemption."  If  any  inquire, 
how  we  may  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  answer 
is,  that  we  do  so  by  ungratefully  disregarding  either 
his  past  favors,  or  the  present  intimations  he  gives 
of  his  willingness  to  come  and  bless  us. 

In  regard  to  the  past  favors  bestowed  upon  us  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  we  may  well  say  that  in  number, 
variety,  and  value,  they  exceed  all  calculation,  and 
have  laid  us  under  obligations  which  eternity  only 
can  discharge.  It  was  this  heavenly  Agent  who, 
from  love  to  our  souls,  so  often  visited  us  in  our  un- 
converted state,  and  urged  upon  our  consciences 
the  baseness  and  the  guilt  of  rebelling  against  God ; 
who  told  us  of  the  danger  to  which  that  rebellion 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  93 

exposed  us,  and  warned  us  to  flee  without  delay  to 
the  gospel  Refuge.  It  was  the  same  blessed  Agent 
who,  after  being  long  resisted  and  abused,  at  last  con- 
vinced us  of  our  guilt  and  ruin,  and  by  the  omnipo- 
tence of  his  grace  subdued  the  enmity  of  our  hearts, 
humbled  us  in  the  dust,  and  made  us  the  joyful  par- 
takers of  pardon,  and  all  the  rich  blessings  of  the  ever- 
lasting covenant.  Yes,  it  was  the  Holy  Spirit  who 
took  us  out  of  the  horrible  pit  and  miry  clay  of  an 
unregenerate  state,  and  set  our  feet  on  the  Rock  of 
ages,  established  our  goings  in  the  highway  of  ho- 
liness, and  put  a  new  song  into  our  mouths,  even 
praise  unto  our  God.  It  was  He  that  revealed 
Christ  in  us  the  hope  of  glory.  It  was  He  that  made 
us  members  of  the  royal  family  of  heaven,  heirs  of 
God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ  to  an  inheritance 
which  is  incorruptible,  and  undefiled,  and  fadeth  not 
away.  It  was  the  same  Spirit  who  led  us  by  the 
hand  during  the  period  of  our  spiritual  infancy,  that 
gradually  opened  to  us  the  mind  and  will  of  God,  as 
revealed  in  his  word,  that  so  often  applied  the  truth 
with  light  and  comfort  to  our  hearts,  and  thus  sealed 
us  to  the  day  of  redemption.  It  was  the  same  hea- 
venly Agent  who  so  frequently  brought  us  back 
when  we  had  strayed  from  the  spiritual  fold  ;  who 
healed  our  wounds,  assuaged  our  griefs,  allayed  our 
fears,  indited  our  petitions,  helped  our  infirmities, 


94  CAUSES    OP 

and  made  intercession  for  us  according  to  the  will 
of  God.  It  was  He,  too,  who  in  the  time  of  great 
outward  troubles, — the  loss  of  property,  of  health, 
or  of  endeared  friends — stood  by  us  and  sustained 
us.  When  we  were  ready  to  sink,  this  blessed 
Comforter  whispered  in  our  ear,  "  As  thy  day  is 
thy  strength  shall  be.  When  thou  passest  through 
the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee ;  and  through  the 
rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee.  When  thou 
walkest  through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not  be  burned, 
neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee."  Nay, 
such  was  the  support  and  consolation  which  his 
presence  and  grace  afforded,  that  each  of  us  was 
constrained  to  say,  "  Though  I  walk  through  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil ; 
for  thou  art  with  me  ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff*  they 
comfort  me."  Indeed,  the  favors  bestowed  upon 
us  by  the  Holy  Spirit  demand  the  liveliest  emotions 
of  gratitude,  and  can  never  be  adequately  repaid  or 
acknowledged  in  this  world  or  the  next.  And  how 
have  we  requited  this  heavenly  Benefactor  ?  How 
vastly  disproportionate  our  gratitude  to  the  innu- 
merable and  immensely  rich  blessings  which  he  has 
bestowed  upon  us  !  How  little  have  we  felt  our 
obligations  to  him  for  all  the  grace  and  consolation 
which  we  have  received,  and  for  all  the  well-founded 
hopes  of  heaven  which  we  have  been  permitted  to 
cherish !  And  can  we  wonder  that,  aggrieved  by  our 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  95 

ingratitude,  he  has  for  a  season  withdrawn  himself 
from  us,  and  left  us  in  a  measure  destitute  of  the 
blessings  which  we  had  so  strangely  abused  ? 

There  is  one  way  in  which  this  ingratitude  has 
been  manifested  that  deserves  to  be  particularly 
mentioned.  We  have  too  often  arrogated  to  our- 
selves a  part  of  the  glory  which  was  due  exclusive- 
ly to  the  Spirit  of  God.  He  has,  suppose,  blessed 
us  with  a  revival  of  his  gracious  work  among  us. 
Our  own  souls,  which  for  a  season  were  like  the 
heath  in  the  wilderness,  have  become  like  the  gar- 
den of  the  Lord ;  while  many  around  us,  who  were 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  have  been  quickened 
by  his  saving  power,  and  made  to  sit  together  in 
heavenly  places  in  Christ  .Tesus.  The  preached 
word  was,  for  a  time,  quick  and  powerful,  sharper 
than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  to  the  dividing 
asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  mar- 
row, and  became  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  in- 
tents of  the  heart.  When  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
prophesied  over  the  dry  bones,  there  was  a  noise 
and  a  shaking ;  and  the  bones  came  together,  bone 
to  its  bone ;  and  lo,  the  sinews  and  the  flesh  came 
up  upon  them,  and  the  skin  covered  them  above. 
And  when  he  prophesied  again,  the  breath  of  hea- 
venly life  came  into  them,  and  caused  them  to  stand 
up  on  their  feet  an  embattled  host,  prepared  to  en- 
dure hardness  as  good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christr 


96  CAUSES    OF 

Such  a  season  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,  was  most  evidently  his  work ;  and,  while 
enjoying  it,  we  were  bound  to  lie  in  the  dust  before 
him,  and  to  ascribe  the  glory,  the  whole  glory,  to  his 
most  holy  name.     This,  perhaps,  we  frequently  ac- 
knowledged, both  in  private  and  in   public.     We 
called  the  work,  we  were  permitted  to  witness,  the 
work  of  God.     We  admitted  the  agency  of  his  bles- 
sed spirit  in  the  whole  matter.     But  still  we  claimed 
a  part  of  the  glory  for  ourselves  and  for  certain  in- 
dividuals of  our  fellow  men.   Before  the  work  com- 
menced, and  during  its  progress,  we  did  much  to 
promote  it.     We  held  numerous  prayer  meetings  ; 
we  appointed  committees  to  visit  from  house  to 
house,  and  converse  faithfully  with  saints  and  sin- 
ners.    We  endeavored,  besides,  as  individuals,  to 
excite  an  attention  to  religion  in  all  around  us.   We 
conversed  in  a  serious  manner  with  each  person  to 
whom  we  could  have  access,  and  labored  to  make 
an  impression  on  every  mind  in  favor  of  Christ  and 
his  cause.     Our  minister  was  remarkably  faithful 
and  laborious,  and  did  much  to  promote  the  revival. 
He  chose  the  most  appropriate  subjects,  and  dis- 
cussed  them  in  the  most  instructive  and  impres- 
sive manner.     He  laid  open  the  sinner's  case  so 
plainly,  that  it  seemed  impossible  for  any,  however 
stupid  and  hardened,  to  fail  of  realizing  their  lost 
condition.     Neighboring  ministers  came  in  to  his 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  97 

assistance,  and  by  their  excellent  sermons  and  ex- 
hortations, did  much  to  help  forward  the  good 
work.  One  individual  was  awakened  by  this  ser- 
mon, and  another  by  that ;  while  by  a  thirds  seve- 
ral were  brought  to  rejoice  in  the  truth.  And  while 
thinking  and  speaking  of  the  work  in  this  manner, 
have  we  not  felt,  and  has  not  our  language  some- 
times implied,  that  almost  as  much  was  to  be  attri- 
buted to  the  agency  of  man,  as  to  that  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  ?  For  some  years  past,  the  churches,  gene- 
rally, have  evidently  been  in  great  danger  of  cher- 
ishing feelings  and  uttering  expressions  of  this  kind. 
The  subject  of  human  agency  has  been  much  dis- 
cussed, and  many  excellent  things  have  been  said 
upon  it.  The  antinomian  heresy  has  been  thor- 
oughly exposed,  and  the  importance  of  a  proper  use 
of  the  appointed  means  of  grace,  has  been  placed 
in  a  clear  and  strong  light.  Christians  now  feel 
the  necessity  of  human  elForts  in  relation  to  the  sal- 
vation of  the  soul,  and  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  as 
much  as  in  relation  to  their  secular  pursuits.  And, 
thus  far,  all  is  right.  But  experience  and  observa- 
tion teach  us  how  difficult  it  is  to  preserve,  in  regard 
to  any  two  extremes,  the  proper  medium.  There 
are  not  a  few  who,  in  their  zeal  to  shun  the  errors 
of  the  antinomian  and  the  fatalist,  seem  to  have 
gone  into  the  opposite  extreme,  and  to  have  attri- 
buted more  to  human  agency  than  they  ought ;  in 
10 


98  CAUSES   OF 

doing  which  they  have  withheld  from  the  Holy 
Spirit  the  glory  due  to  his  name.  They  have  seem- 
ed to  imagine  that  a  revival  might  be  produced  at 
any  time  by  the  use  of  proper  means, — that,  for  in- 
stance, a  series  of  religious  meetings  well  sustained 
by  ministers  and  people,  could  hardly  fail  of  awak- 
ening slumbering  sinners,  and  bringing  many  of 
them  to  the  saving  knowledge  of  Christ.  Under 
these^xircumstances,  can  we  wonder  if  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  has  been  grieved ;  and,  leaving  ministers 
and  people  to  try  their  own  strength,  has  taught 
them  by  the  entire  failure  of  their  efforts,  that,  what- 
ever means  or  instruments  may  be  employed,  the 
excellency  of  the  power  is  of  God  and  not  of  them  ? 
And  is  not  this  one  reason  why,  in  so  many  instan- 
ces, protracted  meetings  have  been  held  without 
success  ? 

There  is,  as  already  intimated,  another  way  in 
which  we  may  have  grieved  the  Holy  Spirit,  name- 
ly, by  ungratefully  disregarding  the  present  intima- 
tions of  his  willingness  to  come  and  bless  us.  Since 
the  commencement  of  that  spiritual  apathy  which 
now  so  generally  prevails,  there  have,  probably,  been 
seasons  in  which  a  degree  of  quickening  has  been 
felt  by  the  members  of  the  church,  and  in  which  sin- 
ners have  paid  more  than  usual  attention  to  the 
means  of  grace.  During  two  or  three  weeks,  sup- 
pose, religious  meetings  have  been  more  numerously 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  99 

attended,  and  the  preached  gospel  has  been  listen- 
ed to  with  more  seriousness,  and  the  truth  has 
seemed  to  fall  on  the  assembly  with  greater  weight 
than  on  ordinary  occasions.  At  such  times  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  giving  us  intimations  of  his  willing- 
ness to  come  and  bless  us  with  abundant  showers 
of  grace.  And  there  seems  no  reason  to  doubt  but 
that  he  would  actually  do  this,  did  we  not  by  our 
coldness  and  indifference,  show  that  we  were  not 
prepared  to  appreciate  the  blessing  which  he  was 
about  to  confer.  Suppose  a  friend  should  call  on 
us  in  the  morning,  and  with  the  utmost  kindness 
and  delicacy,  should  intimate  his  willingness  to  pass 
the  day  with  us.  And  suppose,  that,  instead  of  bid- 
ding him  a  cordial  welcome,  we  should  treat  him 
with  neglect,  and  give  him  the  strongest  reason  to 
conclude  that  we  did  not  desire  his  company. 
Would  he  not  be  grieved  ?  And  would  he  be  like- 
ly to  visit  us  again  very  soon  ?  —  Can  we  won- 
der, then,  that  the  spirit  of  the  Lord,  when  treated 
in  a  similar  manner  by  those  who  are  infinitely  in- 
debted to  him,  should  withdraw  from  them,  and 
leave  them  destitute  of  the  sensible  tokens  of  his 
love,  till  they  realize  their  guilt  and  folly,  and  man- 
ifest an  earnest  desire  to  regain  the  rich  blessing 
which  they  now  so  strangely  despise  ?  * 

»  See  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hall's  Treatise  on  the  Holy  Spirit, 


loo  CAUSES    OP 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Neglect  of  the  daily  exercise  of  Repentance  to- 
wards God,  and  of  Faith  towards  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

It  will  be  generally  admitted  that  unconverted 
men  must  repent  of  sin  and  believe  in  Jesus  Christ, 
before  they  can  enjoy  true  peace,  or  lead  a  holy 
life.  It  vf\\\  also  be  admitted  that,  v^hen  a  saint  has 
been  chargeable  vv^ith  any  remarkable  deviation 
from  the  right  path,  a  new  exercise  of  repentance 
and  faith  is  necessary  for  him ;  as  in  the  case  of 
David  when  he  had  sinned  in  the  affair  of  Uriah  ; 
and  of  Peter,  when  he  had  denied  his  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter. But  we  do  not  seem  to  realize  that  the  like  ne- 
cessity exists,  daily,  in  regard  to  all  the  members 
of  the  Redeemer's  spiritual  family.  We  are  apt  to 
suppose  that  when  a  Christian  leads  what  we  con- 
sider an  exemplary,  pious  life,  he  may  go  on  pros- 
perously, for  weeks  and  months,  without  any  spe- 
cial exercise  of  faith  or  repentance.  This  might, 
and  probably  would,  be  true  of  us,  if  we  had  attain- 
ed to  sinless  perfection.  Were  we  sure  that  we  did 
nothing  offensive  to  God — that  the  feelings  of  our 
hearts  were  all  in  perfect  conformity  with  the  divine 
requirements — we  might  pass  days  and  weeks,  per- 
haps months  and  years,  without  any  new  exercise 


RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION.  101 

of  godly  sorrow,  or  any  new  application  to  Christ 
as  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world.  But  such  is  not  our  case.  We  daily 
sin,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God.  It  is  sel- 
dom we  pass  a  day,  without  saying  or  doing  some- 
thing which  a  tender  and  enlightened  conscience  is 
constrained  to  condemn.  And  as  to  our  thoughts 
and  feelings,  how  many  times,  in  a  single  day,  if 
not  in  a  single  hour,  are  they  different  from  what 
they  ought  to  be  !  How  much  selfishness,  and  pride, 
and  vain-glory  are  felt !  How  much  inordinate 
love  to  the  world !  How  much  unwillingness  to 
deny  ourselves  and  bear  the  cross  !  Or  if  we  are 
conscious  of  nothing  positively  wrong,  how  great  a 
loant  of  intensity  and  fervor  is  there  in  our  spirit- 
ual feelings !  How  far  does  our  love  to  God,  to 
his  word  and  to  his  cause,  fall  below  that  high 
and  perfect  standard  by  which  we  are  required  to 
try  ourselves  1  And  how  often  do  we  suffer  our 
thoughts  to  wander  from  spiritual  subjects,  when 
we  might  control  them,  and  when,  without  any 
prejudice  to  our  worldly  business,  they  might  be 
occupied  with  the  great  and  precious  truths  of  the 
gospel.  Indeed,  it  is  evident  that  the  best  Chris- 
tian in  the  world  who  properly  watches  the  move- 
ments of  his  own  mind,  even  when  his  outward  con- 
duct is  entirely  fair,  will  find  enough  every  day  to 

fill  him  with  shame  and  confusion  before  God,  and 
10* 


W2  CAUSES    OP    RELIGIOUS    DECLENSION. 

to  render  him  incapable  of  joy,  or  peace,  till  with 
unfeigned  sorrow  he  has  made  confession  at  the 
mercy  seat,  and  has  gone  by  faith  to  that  blessed 
fountain  which  cleanses  from  all  iniquity.     A  neg- 
lect to  do  this  seems  to  be  a  principal  reason  why 
Christians  in  general  live  so  little  as  they  ought  to 
do,  and  enjoy  so  little  of  the  comforts  of  religion. 
Sin  defiles  the  conscience ;  and,  when  the  conscience 
is  defiled,  all  our  spiritual  energies  are  enfeebled  ; 
we  gradually  become  spiritually  diseased,  and  are 
disqualified  alike  for  running  the  race  which  is  set 
before  us,  and  for  partaking  of  those  rich  consola- 
tions which  the  Lord  has  prepared  for  his  people. 
To  change  the  figure,  sin  wounds  the  soul ;  and  un- 
less we  daily  repent  and  go  to  Christ  by  faith,  our 
wounds  are  not  healed.     They,  of  course,  increase 
in  number  and  virulence  daily ;    till,  in  process  of 
time,  the  soul  resembles  the  body  when  covered 
with  bruises  and  putrifying  sores.     Now  this  is  re- 
ally the  case  at  present  with  a  multitude  of  profess- 
ed Christians,  and  with  many  churches.     Should  we 
strip  off  the  garment  of  external  decency  which  co- 
vers them,  we  should  find,  alas  !  but  little  besides  a 
mass  of  moial  putrescence.      Oh  how  important  it 
is  that  individual  Christians,  and  churches  realize 
this  lamentable   truth,  and  repair  without  delay  to 
the  great  Physician,  and  to  the  fountain  which  he 
has  opened — a  fountain  whose  living  waters  are 


CLOSING    ADDRESS.  103 

adapted  alike  to  cleanse  the  polluted  soul,  and  heal 
its  spiritual  maladies  !  Were  this  done  daily,  Chris- 
tians would  not  so  often  resemble  those  who  are 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  No ;  the  members  of 
the  church  would  exhibit  the  appearance  of  moral 
and  spiritual  health ;  and,  instead  of  that  languor 
and  feebleness  which  now  too  often  characterize 
them,  would  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  pow- 
er of  his  might ;  and  their  achievements  in  the  spir- 
itual warfare  would  be  truly  glorious. 


CLOSING  ADDRESS. 

To  real  Christians  of  every  Denomination. 

Beloved  Brethren, 

The  writer  has  now  done  what  he 
had  principally  in  view  in  this  essay — has  taken  a 
brief  survey  of  the  evil  in  question,  and  pointed  out 
what  he  considers  some  of  the  principal  causes  to 
which  it  should  be  ascribed.  He  does  not  by  any 
means  pretend  to  have  exhausted  the  subject.  He 
is  sensible  that  other  causes  might  justly  be  assign- 
ed. But  he  wishes  to  avoid  unnecessary  prolixity  ; 
and,  unless  he  greatly  mistcike,  the  causes  which 


!04  CLOSING    ADDRESS. 

have  been  named  are  the  most  prominent ;  and  will, 
if  properly  weighed,  lead  to  the  contemplation  of 
those  which,  for  brevity's  sake,  have  been  omitted. 
The  subject,  you  will  all  admit,  is  one  of  vast  im- 
portance— a  subject  in  the  right  understanding  of 
which  the  glory  of  God,  the  prosperity  of  his  spir- 
itual kingdom,  and  the  best  interests  of  the  soul  are 
deeply  involved.  He  trusts,  therefore,  that  what 
he  has  said  will  receive  your  candid  and  prayerful 
attention,  and  will  be  the  means  of  inciting  us  all 
to  avoid  in  future  the  errors  in  our  spiritual  course 
from  which  so  much  evil  has  resulted.  Do  you  ask, 
"  By  what  means  may  we  obtain  deliverance  from 
the  unhappy  state  into  which  we  have  fallen  ?"  You 
will  find  an  answer  in  the  last  chapter  of  this  es- 
say. It  was  there  stated  that  the  neglect  of  the 
daily  exercise  of  repentance  towards  God,  and  of 
faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  was  one  cause 
of  the  evil  in  question.  It  is  proper  now  to  add, 
that  we  cannot  rise  out  of  this  low  condition  with- 
out repenting  of  our  sins  in  dust  and  ashes,  and  go- 
ing anew  to  Christ  in  the  exercise  of  a  true  and  live- 
ly faith.  Till  this  is  done,  we  cannot  attain  that  el- 
evated standing  as  individuals,  or  as  churches,  which 
we  ought  to  occupy ;  nor  can  we  walk  in  the  light 
of  the  Lord,  or  enjoy  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the 
unconverted  around  us  become  the  friends  and  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus  Christ.    And  shall  we  not,  breth- 


CLOSING    ADDRESS.  105 

ren,  immediately  betake  ourselves,  in  a  humble  de- 
pendence on  the  grace  of  God,  to  the  performance 
of  this  necessary  and  most  important  work  ?  Shall 
we  live  any  longer  at  this  poor  dying  rate  ? — dis- 
honoring the  name  of  our  God  and  Saviour,  depriv- 
ing our  own  souls  of  all  real  comfort,  and  confirm- 
ing the  ungodly  in  their  opposition  to  Christ  and 
the  way  of  holiness  ?  Alas  !  brethren,  shall  we  re- 
main another  year  in  this  sad  condition?  Shall 
we  remain  another  month,  or  another  day  ?  Behold, 
our  God  is  rich  in  mercy,  and  is  waiting  to  receive 
us,  wretched  prodigals ;  to  purify  us  from  all  our 
pollutions,  to  clothe  us  with  the  garments  of  salva- 
tion, and  to  admit  us,  unworthy  and  guilty  as  we 
are,  to  the  richest  entertainments  of  his  house.  And 
shall  we  refuse  to  avail  ourselves  of  his  grace  and 
bounty  ?  Shall  we  choose  to  remain  in  the  "  far 
country,"  where  dearth,  and  famine,  and  degrada- 
tion, and  death  abound  ?  Shall  we  perish  with  hun- 
ger, rather  than  return  to  our  Father's  house  where 
is  bread  enough  and  to  spare  ?  Oh  let  us  obey  that 
voice  which  speaks  to  us  from  the  heights  of  Zion, 
and  says,  "  Return  ye  backsliding  children,  and  I 
will  heal  your  backslidings."  Let  us  bless  the 
name  of  that  gracious  Being  with  whom  there  is 
forgiveness,  that  he  may  be  feared ;  and  let  us  unite 
in  saying  to  him,  "  Behold,  we  come  unto  thee ;  for 
thou  art  the  Lord  our  God."  This  done,  we  shall 
regain  the  consolations  of  his  grace,  shall   teach 


106  CLOSING    ADDRESS. 

transgressors  his  ways,  and  see  them  flying  to  him 
as  clouds  and  as  doves  to  their  windows.  Nor  shall 
we  long  be  destitute  of  the  satisfaction  arising  from 
an  assurance  that  we  are  instrumental  in  advancing 
the  interests  of  his  kingdom,  and  of  glorifying  him  in 
our  bodies  and  spirits  which  are  his. 

The  importance  of  our  returning  to  the  Lord  is 
enhanced  by  the  peculiar  situation  of  the  church  of 
Christ  at  the  present  day.  She  is  fast  approaching 
a  most  interesting  crisis  in  that  mighty  contest  which 
she  has  so  long  maintained  with  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness. If  the  writer  has  any  correct  understanding 
of  the  prophetical  Scriptures,  the  time  cannot  be 
very  far  distant  when  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
are  to  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  God  and  of  his 
Christ.  But  this  glorious  triumph  of  truth  and 
righteousness  is  most  evidently  to  be  preceded  by 
extraordinary  exertions  on  the  part  of  the  great  ad- 
versary of  God  and  man,  to  maintain  his  dominion 
over  this  fallen  world,  and  prevent,  if  possible,  the 
fulfilment  of  the  promises  made  to  Zion  respecting 
her  enlargement  and  glory  in  the  latter  days.  This 
is  plainly  intimated  by  several  of  the  inspired  wri- 
ters ;  particularly  by  St.  John  in  the  16th  chapter 
of  the  Apocalypse.  "  I  saw,"  says  he,  "  three  un- 
clean spirits  like  frogs  go  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out 
of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet.     For  these,"  he 


CLOSING    ADDRESS.  107 

adds,  "  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles, 
which  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  of 
the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of 
that  great  day  of  God  Almighty."  Without  at- 
tempting an  exegesis  of  this  interesting  passage,  we 
may  venture  to  say,  that  it  plainly  indicates  an  ex- 
tended and  desperate  effort  on  the  part  of  Satan  to 
muster  his  forces,  and  bring  on  a  general  engage- 
ment between  the  friends  and  the  enemies  of  Christ. 
And  are  there  not,  brethren,  some  clear  indications 
of  such  a  movement  in  the  existing  state  of  the 
world  ?  Are  not  the  agents  and  emissaries  of  the 
prince  of  darkness,  and  of  the  anti-christian  powers  of 
Europe,  laboring  with  unusual  industry  and  zeal,  es- 
pecially in  our  country,  to  destroy  those  civil  and  re- 
ligious institutions,  on  the  preservation  of  which,  the 
prosperity  of  the  Church  of  Christ  so  essentially  de- 
pends ?  Has  not  the  civil  and  religious  state  of  our 
country  greatly  changed  for  the  worse,  within  a  very 
few  years?  And  should  the  progress  of  moral  and  poli- 
tical deterioration  be  equally  rapid  for  a  few  years  to 
come,  what  will  remain  to  us  of  the  fair  inheritance 
left  us  by  our  fathers  ?  Indeed,  there  appears  much 
reason  to  fear  that,  in  less  than  twenty  years,  the  em- 
pire of  liberty  and  of  true  religion  in  this  western 
world,  will  be  subverted ;  and  that  all  the  evils  na- 
turally resulting  from  the  prevalence  of  despotic 
power,  and  of  an  impure  and  bloody  superstition. 


108  CLOSING    ADDRESS. 

will  here  be  realized.  And  does  itj  brethren,  become 
us,  at  such  a  time,  to  slumber  ?  Oh  how  important 
it  is  that  we  awake  to  righteousness,  and  pray  with 
fervency  for  the  interposition  of  that  almighty  arm, 
which  alone  can  save  ourselves,  our  children,  our 
country,  and  the  church  of  Christ,  from  impending 
evils ! 


